


She Walks In Hellfire

by TheLaughingDove



Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: Brotherhood, Charles Aznavour Quotes, Choosing Lucifer, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Family Feels, Family Secrets, Josh Groban Quotes, Lord Byron Quotes, Marina Diamandis Quotes, Orphaned Main Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:28:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 31,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26277199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLaughingDove/pseuds/TheLaughingDove
Summary: Armed with Lord Byron's poems, a proclivity for hugs, and a stunning lack of self-preservation skills, Viorella, the strikingly ordinary human exchange student, makes her way through her year in the Devildom.Fearless as Viorella may be, she did not expect to find someone in this strange new world, let alone seven someones, who could mean so much to her.
Relationships: Lucifer (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 34





	1. Not All A Dream

**Author's Note:**

> Introducing my darling MC Viorella in her version of this delightful story of demons, family and true love. Plot and dialogue is taken from the game itself, I own nothing but my MC and of course my own mistakes.  
> Contains minor canon divergence, with Lucifer as Viorella's ultimate love interest.

**"I had a dream, which was not all a dream." ~ Lord Byron, Darkness**

Colours started spinning around Viorella's head. Her vision swam, shadows and light blurring with lightning-fast movement that couldn't possibly be natural. Her stomach roiled violently before she suddenly lost all sensation in her body. Only her mind remained conscious, stricken with panic and confusion. 

And then everything halted. Sensation, colour and nausea returned as she dropped back into a state of stillness. Her feet slammed onto solid ground again, and she barely managed to keep her balance. She wrapped her arms around her stomach and tried in vain to deepen her quick, shallow breathing. 

As she struggled to orient herself, she realized she could no longer smell the rain-soaked pavement, nor could she hear the passing cars of the road she'd been walking on seconds before. She frowned.

_Where am I...?_

Viorella's vision cleared. She was in a...courtroom? Tall, narrow windows let in torrents of moonlight that illuminated the intimidating, arching shapes of the high-backed seats lining the courtroom table. She tensed, noticing several men looking her way. 

The auburn-haired man in the seat of the chief judge started speaking.

"Welcome to the Devildom, Viorella."

_How does he know my name? How did I get here?_

Viorella felt the blood drain from her cheeks as she zeroed in on the man. He wore a vermilion leather coat that was easily the brightest colour in the moonlit courtroom. Still hugging herself around the stomach, Viorella dug her fingernails into her sides, inflicting pain to combat her rising panic. 

The auburn-haired man seemed to notice her fear. His face softened in concern. "...Oh, pardon me. Feeling a bit shocked, are we?" he smiled reassuringly. "Well, that's understandable. You've only just arrived, after all. As a human, it will probably take a little while for you to adjust to things here in the Devildom."

"The Devildom...?" Viorella repeated, utterly confused. Her breathing was coming a little easier now, which helped to allay her nausea. 

The auburn-haired man chuckled, seeming pleased. "Yes, exactly, the Devildom. I see that you catch on quickly. Excellent. I suppose I should start by introducing myself. My name is Diavolo." the friendly smile gave way to a slightly more stoic expression. "I am the ruler of all demons, and all here know of me. And someday soon, I will be crowned king of the Devildom."

He rose from his judge's seat and turned to one of the tall windows behind him, motioning for Viorella to come with him. He spread his large hands to indicate the view.

Viorella moved cautiously to his side and looked out through the misted glass. And for a moment, she felt her breath leave her body along with all vestiges of fear. Before her lay a city she had never seen before, shrouded in darkness and sparkling with multicoloured lights. It was beautiful, in a dark and dangerous way that sent a frisson of excitement through Viorella's chest.

_This isn't my home city. Is this a dream?_

"You're standing inside the assembly hall, the very heart of the Royal Academy of Diavolo, or colloquially, RAD." Diavolo indicated their surroundings. "This is where we officers of the student council hold our meetings and conduct our business. I'm the president of said council." he added. 

Viorella looked at him. Diavolo was a tall, broad man, roughly three times larger than her. But there was a warmth and kindness in his light tawny eyes that made her relax just enough to regain her voice. "Why am I here?" she asked.

"I will explain everything to you." proclaimed a new voice, deep and masculine, causing Viorella to freeze in surprise.

Diavalo turned with a bright smile on his face, and Viorella followed suit. Her eyes befell a tall, sable-haired man dressed in a leather coat identical in design to Diavolo's, with gold details and a half-capelet over his right shoulder, though where Diavolo's outfit was brightest red, his was a dark charcoal. His features were strong and attractive, his bearing powerful and commanding. 

"Viorella, this is Lucifer. He is a demon and the Avatar of Pride." Diavolo informed her. "He's also the vice-president of the student council and my right-hand man... and not just in title, I assure you."

Lucifer didn't crack a smile, but Diavolo laughed, slinging an arm around the dark-haired demon's shoulders. "Beyond that, he's also my most trusted friend."

Lucifer shook his head. "Flattery will get you nowhere, Diavolo." he disengaged himself from Diavolo and stepped towards Viorella, who did her best to preserve her composure under his intimidating gaze. At closer proximity, she noticed that his eyes were a stunning dark red colour, like wine or hibiscus tea.

"Speaking on behalf of the entire student body at this great storied school of ours..." Lucifer said, looking down at her with a half-smile that did odd things to Viorella's respiratory system. "... I offer you a most heartfelt welcome, Viorella."

_Well then, I'm definitely dreaming. Nobody in real life could be this gorgeous._

Viorella lifted her chin a fraction. "Answer my question." she demanded. If this was a dream, she had no reason to be afraid.

Lucifer's smirk deepened. His crimson eyes scrutinized her face thoroughly enough to make her squirm internally. "... Interesting." he said at last. "This one is quite different from Solomon."

Lucifer's smirk vanished, much to Viorella's relief. "Diavolo believes that we demons should start strengthening our relationship with both the human world and the Celestial Realm." he explained. "As a first step towards this goal, we've decided to institute an exchange program. We've sent two of our students to the human world and two to the Celestial Realm. And we're welcoming four students to our school: two from your world and two from the Celestial Realm. So, I take it you've probably put two and two together at this point, right?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. " **You've** been chosen from among the people of the human world to participate in this program of ours. **You are our newest exchange student.** Your period of stay is one year. You will have to work on the tasks that you will receive from RAD. After one year, you will write a paper about your exchange here in the Devildom."

Viorella, marveling at how much backstory her subconscious had applied to this dream, focused her attention on his second-last statement. "Tasks?!" she repeated. 

_That's a rather vague term. Should I be worried?_

Lucifer's expression became disapproving. "You are here as an exchange student. Did you really expect to spend your time here fooling around?"

Viorella glared. _Not what I meant._ She bit back her response, knowing it would come out snappishly.

Lucifer went ahead and misinterpreted her glare as well. "Don't glare at me like that." his smirk was back in place. "It's not like I will abandon you all by yourself here in the Devildom."

_Oh?_

"You need someone to look after you, and I think that someone should be my brother Mammon." Lucifer said. A frown creased his ebony brows. "He's the Avatar of Greed and... how should I put it...?" he sighed. "Oh well, you'll understand soon enough."

Lucifer produced what appeared to be a touchscreen phone and held it out to Viorella. "Here, take this device. It's called a D.D.D. It's a lot like the cell phones of your world."

Viorella took it and clicked it on. It had a simple, bright red wallpaper decorated with an elegant white raven silhouette. She frowned as she noticed the time it proclaimed: 66:66

_Odd. Was this a known anomaly in dreams? I'll have to look it up when I wake up._

"This will be yours to use for as long as you're here." Lucifer informed her, pressing a black-gloved hand to his chest in an absent gesture. "Now, go ahead and try calling Mammon with it."

Viorella raised her eyebrows but did as he suggested.

~

Mammon's D.D.D. rang insistently in his jacket pocket.

Tossing his empty instant noodles container aside, Mammon fished the device out of his pocket to answer the call.

"Yoooo." he drawled, waiting for Lucifer's severe reply to hit him like a whiplash. He almost fell out of his seat in surprise when an unfamiliar female voice answered him instead.

"Hi." whoever she was, she sounded wary.

"Who the hell are ya? You ain't Lucifer." Mammon blurted.

There was a brief silence before the female voice spoke again, wariness still present in her tone. "I'm a human."

"Whaaa? A human?" Mammon repeated, well and truly confused. On second thought, that was rather relieving considering who he'd been expecting. "Geez, I was gettin' all chilly here thinkin' it was Lucifer again. Ya should've told me right away." he settled back extravagantly in his seat. "So, what business does a human got with THE Mammon?"

"You will be in charge of me from now on." the human answered, her tone different this time. She was no longer wary. Instead, she sounded a little severe.

Mammon bristled instantly. "No way! There's nothin' in it for me." he frowned at her choice of words. "Whaddya even mean by "be in charge of you"?"

Unimpressed silence.

Something clicked in Mammon's brain. "AAH! I get it now, you're the other human--the new exchange student!" he ran a hand through his white hair in a devil-may-care manner. "G'luck with that, and see ya."

"Lucifer called for you." the human tried.

"Pfft, whatever." Mammon scoffed. "Ya think THE Mammon would listen to ya just 'cause you're tryin' to scare me with that name?"

Mammon immediately regretted his response when Lucifer's deep, stern voice replaced the human's soft, musical tones. "You've got ten seconds." his brother informed him. "...nine... eight..."

Mammon shot upright in his seat. "YESSIR!" he yelped, panicked.

He distinctly heard a giggle from the unknown female human.

Was she laughing at _him?!_

Mammon scowled and stormed off towards RAD. 

~

Viorella's amused giggle faded, giving way to a small sigh.

_Damn it. My subconscious is producing some pretty interesting characters. This Mammon person sounded rather... Well, like an ass, frankly._

Viorella couldn't help biting her lip in apprehension as she turned back to Lucifer, who stood watching her with an entertained smirk on his face.

"Sounds like you had a nice chat." he commented.

Viorella pursed her lips. "I would've preferred you, Lucifer." maybe this Mammon was hot too, but she by far favoured this smouldering dark-haired man out of all the people she'd met in her dream so far. 

Lucifer's smirk deepened. "You look even more worried now, huh."

Diavolo gave her a sympathetic look. "Well, if you were suddenly brought to a strange place and then get told that an unfamiliar face will now take care of you, you'd certainly feel anxious." he said. "However, Mammon isn't the only one to help you out."

Diavolo turned to his right hand man with a smile. "Now then...we still need to introduce our new friend to your brothers, Lucifer. And it's probably better that you do that instead of me, wouldn't you say?"

The corners of Lucifer's mouth turned quite decidedly downwards. "Yes... As much as I **dread** the idea of doing so, you're right."

Viorella felt her lips twitch in amusement. _Clearly, he's the eldest child,_ she sympathized.

The other men in the assembly hall filed over to join them. Viorella's attention had been solely focused upon Diavolo and Lucifer, so she turned to give the others a good look for the very first time, trusting her sleeping mind by now to produce only the sexiest of imaginary men. She was not disappointed by the group that approached, all of them clad in matching charcoal leather uniforms.

"Oh come now. **Really?** You should be honoured that you get to introduce such a **sweet** and **charming** little brother like me!" one of the men proclaimed. He was, in all honesty, the most exquisite creature she'd ever seen, barring maybe Lucifer. His pale, dusty pink-blonde hair cascaded in dramatic waves over his left eye. His flawless, heart-shaped face seemed to glow as he smiled a brilliant smile that radiated a genuine, flamboyant sense of self-confidence Viorella had always envied.

"This one here is Asmodeus. He's the fifth eldest." Lucifer informed her with the same displeased look on his face. "He is the Avatar of Lust."

Asmodeus's perfectly shaped eyebrows drew downwards in an offended frown. "Wh...I can't believe that you totally ignored what I just said! And not only that, you referred to me as **this one.** How rude!" he rubbed the knuckles of his manicured hand against his cheek with an air of annoyance.

"Hmph. At least he didn't ignore you altogether. How do you think **I** feel?" another man put him.

Viorella looked at him, and felt her breath catch in her chest. The other man was also blonde, his hair much brighter, outright golden in fact. His chiseled, handsome face was set in an expression of exaggerated melancholy, his gold brows angled upwards at the inner edges, giving him a puppy-dog look.

Lucifer's expression was now rather apathetic. "That one there is Satan, the fourth eldest of us. At first glance, he may seem like a responsible demon with a good head on his shoulders, but looks can be deceiving."

Satan put a hand to his chin in a thoughtful manner. "Aha, so **I'm** that one, am I?" ice saturated his tone. It melted a little as he looked at Viorella. "Nice to meet you, Viorella."

The easy chuckle that unexpectedly left Satan's lips a moment later was the most divine sound Viorella had ever heard, dreaming or awake. "I am Satan, the Avatar of Wrath." he introduced himself pleasantly.

"The Avatar of Wrath?" Viorella repeated, studying him attentively. 

Lucifer grunted. "It basically sums up what he's about. He may flash you a pretty smile like that, but you had better be careful because it is all an act."

Viorella barely heard him. A blush settled on her cheeks as she averted her gaze from Satan, realizing she had been staring. 

_Can you blame me though?_

Satan only smiled broadly. "If you continue saying such nonsense, you'll just scare Viorella." an evil element glinted in that gorgeous smile. "Don't take him too seriously, Viorella. Lucifer enjoys speaking ill of his brothers. He is the Avatar of Pride, after all."

Lucifer sighed. "Are you done?" he turned towards the last man who had not yet been introduced. "Now, the one there with the very grumpy look on his face is Beelzebub. He's the sixth oldest."

Viorella's eyes widened as she looked over at Beelzebub. He was a truly massive man, as big as Diavolo, with thick ginger hair and hands that could easily wrap around the full span of her waist. His moody frown was quite frankly terrifying.

"Lucifer, I'm hungry." Beelzebub growled.

Lucifer gave him a reproving look. "That's too bad. Now behave yourself."

Beelzebub's face fell dejectedly as his stomach emitted a pitiful growl. He placed a massive hand over his stomach and looked at Viorella, his dark eyes assessing her briefly. "I'm Beelzebub, the Avatar of Gluttony." he said.

"So," Lucifer said, regaining Viorella's attention. "There are seven of us brothers in all, and I am the eldest. Mammon, the second oldest of us, will be here soon. My other brothers aren't here at the moment, but...well, we can get to them later. All in good time."

"During your stay in the Devildom, the seven brothers will lend you their strength." Diavolo interjected. "To keep you safe, you are to stay with them at the House of Lamentation."

The name caused Viorella to quirk an eyebrow. "The House of Lamentation?" she asked.

Lucifer nodded. "Yes, it's where I live with my brothers. It is a rather spacious house, and it was originally a cursed house in the human world."

_Ooh._

Viorella listened to so many paranormal podcasts that she was hardly surprised something like this would prop up in her dreams. 

"So, I assume it won't be a problem for you--a human--to live there." Lucifer continued. "Although we will all be living together, you should still have the means to reach us at any given time." he gestured towards the device Viorella still held in her hand. "All of our phone numbers are already in there. And your D.D.D. also has a messaging app. Make sure to add all of us."

"I'll go ahead and send you a message!" Diavolo proclaimed brightly, pulling out his own D.D.D.

"Isn't that nice, Viorella," remarked Satan, who was standing at her side for some reason, and it was distracting her to no end. "Now you will be friends with the future king of the Devildom!"

Viorella surreptitiously pinched herself on the inside of her arm, where the skin was softest. She frowned in confusion when the pain failed to wake her. 

Her dream was getting a little too detailed. It was beginning to scare her. 


	2. What I Ask Of You

**"The bright sun was extinguish'd, and the stars**

**Did wander darkling in the eternal space,**

**Rayless, and pathless, and the icy earth**

**Swung blind and blackening in the moonless air." ~ Lord Byron, Darkness** ****

Mammon was fuming. He burst into the assembly hall, intentionally banging the doors open as loudly as he could.

"HEY! Just **who** do you think you are, human? You've got a lotta nerve summoning the **Great Mammon!** Listen up, because I'm only gonna say this once. If you value your life, then you'll hand over all of your money now! And anything else of value too!"

And then he looked at the human. She was tiny, there was no other word for it. She looked like a young adult, but she barely cleared the five foot mark. She wore a black, off-the-shoulder top that revealed plenty of sun-kissed golden skin, and a white skirt that was long enough to hide her feet, making her seem even shorter. A curly cloud of dark hair sprinkled with copper highlights surrounded a pretty, oval-shaped face currently set in an amused expression. Her pink rosebud lips were quirked to the side and her deepset black eyes were shining.

Mammon, who had been expecting someone a bit more intimidating, perhaps a female version of Solomon, was momentarily stopped in his tracks. But he recovered himself quickly, and did the first thing he could think of: he continued he tirade. "Otherwise I'll wipe that stupid, happy-go-lucky look right off of your face...by eatin' you! Startin' at your head and working my way down until--"

"Mammon, shut up or I'll punch you!" Lucifer roared.

Mammon didn't have time to dodge before Lucifer's fist connected with his jaw. "GAH, OWW! Hey, what's the big idea?! I thought you were actually gonna give me **a chance** to shut up before punching me!"

Satan smiled brightly and turned to the tiny human. "Viorella, Mammon here is the Avatar of Greed. He governs and oversees all forms of it. Whenever he takes a liking to someone, they suddenly find themselves awash in money." Satan lowered his voice dramatically. "But from what I hear, if he decides to break it off with someone, that wealth evaporates. They're left without a Grimm to their name."

"And he's also a masochist. That part's important." Asmodeus chimed in, swinging his legs off the council table. 

"Indeed. And it just so happens I have a job for my masochist of a brother." Lucifer said.

Mammon scowled at everyone. "Y'all, stop telling lies! I ain't asked for that punch, and I AIN'T a masochist!"

Everyone ignored him.

"Mammon, **you** are going to be in charge of seeing to this human's needs during the whole exchange." Lucifer told him. He smiled threateningly. "I expect your full cooperation."

Mammon immediately protested. "What?! **Why me?!** " 

"Aww, lucky you, Mammon! I'm so jealous..." Asmodeus whined.

"All right, then why don't YOU do it, Asmodeus?!" Mammon retorted.

"What? Hell no, too lazy." Asmodeus replied, leisurely inspecting his fingernails.

"I thought you said you were jealous of me?!" Mammon protested incredulously.

Satan shook his head in exasperation. "Just give up, Mammon. There's no getting out of this." he smiled sweetly as poison. "You know you can't refuse a direct command from Lucifer, correct?"

"But why does it have to be me?! What about Beel. Why can't he do it?!" Mammon demanded. 

Asmodeus shook his head. "This isn't a job we can entrust to Beel. We might as well ask him to **eat** this human."

Beelzebub nodded sagely. "Hm, yeah. I can't promise I wouldn't."

Mammon threw up his hands. "You're useless, you know that?!"

Beelzebub frowned at him.

"...Mammon?" Lucifer intoned darkly.

"...Wh-What?" Mammon stammered.

Lucifer's eyes narrowed. " **Surely** you're not going to tell me that you object to this arrangement, are you?" he said slowly.

Mammon flinched. Then he growled in annoyance. "Ugh...I hate you guys! Every last one of ya!" he glanced towards the human, who was watching him with those strangely unreadable black eyes. "Fine...FINE! I'll do it, okay?!"

In a flash, he moved in front of her, feeling a burst of satisfaction when her dark eyes widened at his speed and his sudden proximity. He glared down at her.

"All right, **human** , listen up." he barked. "As much as I don't want to look after you, I've got no choice. It's a huge pain in the ass, and I'm too important for this kind of thing, but **Lucifer** told me to do it, so I will. But in return, you better make sure you don't cause me any trouble, got it?!"

The human's sweet face remained stony and unreadable, but her eyes, which at this proximity Mammon could tell were in fact a deep shade of brown, flashed with anger. She said nothing, firmly pressing her glossed pink lips together.

Mammon spread his hands, palms up, in an exasperated gesture. "Hello? Earth to human! Seriously, what's wrong with this one...?"

Lucifer simply brushed him aside, commandeering the human's attention. "We have decided who will take care of you, so on to the next subject: your tasks."

"Will I get tests?" the human asked in that musical voice of hers.

Lucifer smirked at her. "Good question... Your task is to polish up your soul nicely and acquire the power to resist demons."

The human's eyebrows shot up. "My soul?" she repeated.

"Demons like humans with nice souls." Lucifer told her. He smirked at the expectant look on her face. "Let me put it another way. Nice souls look like shiny jewels. Do you understand now?"

The human inclined her curly head.

"Demons will use their wisdom and abilities to tempt the humans so they can get their hands on their souls." Lucifer continued. "Other demons at RAD also have tasks assigned to them just like you. In other words, either humans will be tempted by demons, or demons will lose against the shiny and noble soul of a human and make a run for it. You could say it is an experiment to find out who will win."

The human lifted her chin. "What happens if I win?" she asked.

Lucifer cracked a rare, real smile. "Let's see...I will prepare some rewards to make sure you give it your all."

The human pursed her lips.

Lucifer put a gloved hand to his chest. "There, there, don't give me that look. Don't take it so seriously. You won't have to do those tasks on your own. After all, you don't have any magic in you unlike the other exchange student from the human world...so my brothers and I will lend our powers to you and you alone."

The human tilted her head questioningly.

"But I'm confident you'll handle your tasks with ease given a little time to adjust, won't you, Viorella?" Lucifer suggested with a half-smile.

Mammon stared at the human, unable to detect any fear in her bearing whatsoever. Huh. She was a strange one. 

Lucifer seemed pleased at her stoic reaction. "With that, my explanation has come to a close. But to sum it up for you... You will be an exchange student here at RAD for one year, and you must do your tasks. This has been pre-arranged, and all expenses are paid. My brothers and I will provide you with our protection for the duration of your stay. And when your exchange period comes to an end, you are to submit a paper about your stay here in the Devildom." Lucifer smiled down at the human somewhat sadistically. "It's as easy as pie, don't you think?"

The human's face was unreadable as a porcelain mask. 

"I wanna make one thing clear right now: Don't blame me if someone gets eaten, 'cause it ain't my fault." Mammon grumbled.

Right on cue, Beel winced and turned to his eldest brother. "Lucifer, I'm hungry." he informed him. 

Lucifer sniffed. "That's too bad. Now, behave yourself."

Beelzebub held his stomach and looked miserably at the floor.

Mammon moved to approach the human, but was stopped in his tracks by what she did next.

The human suddenly dug her fingernails into her own left upper arm, viciously enough to draw blood. She then lifted her bleeding limb to her side and regarded it with confusion written on her face. "Why isn't the pain waking me up?" her gaze flitted to each demon around her in turn, taking in their mixture of expressions; Lucifer's apathetic, Diavolo's slightly concerned, Mammon's outright horrified. She frowned. "I _am_ dreaming, right?"

Diavolo nodded, apparently finding her reaction understandable. "Well, you're certainly free to believe that if you'd like." he frowned at her arm, which was now dripping blood onto her white maxi-skirt. "However, I should probably go ahead and make one thing clear now. This is not the sort of dream you'll be able to wake yourself up from."

The human stood quiet and motionless, her eyes tracking Diavolo as he began pacing the length of the courtroom table as he spoke. 

"Viorella, from now on you will be living in the House of Lamentation. You'll be staying there with Lucifer and his six younger brothers." he paused and looked to Viorella, holding her gaze, willing her to understand. "Humans, angels, demons, I imagine a universe where each accepts the other. Where we are brought together as friends. This is my dream, and I'm asking you to be the foundation for it." he laid a hand on her shoulder as he passed her. "One year, that's what I ask of you. Good luck, Viorella."

~  
  
Viorella tied her gauzy black scarf around her upper arm to staunch the self-inflicted bleeding as she walked down the street, vaguely aware of Mammon striding by her side. With her scarf gone, her black off-the-shoulder blouse left plenty of skin exposed to the chill of the evening. It helped to soothe her frazzled mind.   
  
Around her splayed the streets of the unfamiliar city, bathed in silver-white moonlight and multicoloured streetlamps. She felt a pleasant thrill, as she always did when she took walks at night. It didn't feel like a night in the human world, though. She couldn't put her finger on the difference, but it was almost tangible.   
  
A shaky breath wracked her frame. This really wasn't a dream. She was in another world now.  
  
"...Ugh, I don't believe this. Of all the rotten luck..." someone complained from a few feet away.  
  
Having almost forgotten she had an escort, Viorella looked up sharply at the white-haired demon dragging his feet at her side. A sulky expression graced his face.   
  
When he noticed her looking at him, his scowl deepened. "Why should I have to look after some human? It's insulting, that's what it is!"  
  
Viorella was quickly distracted from her companion's unending complaints as they arrived at their destination.   
  
Mammon opened a spiked black iron gate to let them into the front garden of the most haunted-looking house Viorella had ever seen. It was spacious, as Lucifer had said, a huge old-fashioned grey brick house with steepled rooves of dark slate. Against the cold grey bricks, the orange light glowing in the windows seemed all the warmer. Night mist swirled within the overgrown garden, snaking around Viorella's legs as she traversed the garden path. The garden even contained a great dead tree hung with vines and perching ravens.  
  
 _It's like a dark fairytale. I think I'm in love._  
  
"That rotten bastard... Does he really think he can scare me into doin' whatever he wants? Just so we're clear...it's not like I can't say no Lucifer, okay?!"  
  
Viorella, who had been automatically fading out the sound of Mammon's voice, looked at him blankly as she realized he'd addressed her.   
  
Under her expressionless stare, Mammon's sullen pout faltered somewhat. "I only agreed to babysit you because, um... Well, you know, because...uh..." he growled in frustration, scowl back in place. "Anyway, it doesn't matter! Just don't go thinking that I'm scared of Lucifer or anything! Because I'm not!"  
  
Viorella shrugged, turning back towards the house. "Sorry, wasn't listening. This is the House of Lamentation, yes?"  
  
"HEY, COME ON! Even if you WEREN'T listenin', you could at least pretend like you were!" Mammon sniffed, looking a little hurt. Viorella's expression didn't change. He threw up his hands. "...Ugh, whatever. Let's move on."  
  
Viorella hid her grin of excitement behind her hands as Mammon let them into the house. She was by no means dissapointed.   
  
The blue-wallpapered entrance hall presented twin dragon statues tucked within the curve of the dual staircases that dominated the room. It was like something out of an opulent Victorian movie.   
  
"This is the House of Lamentation. It's one of dorms here at RAD." Mammon said. "Well, it's not JUST one of the dorms. It's the dorm reserved for student council members." he pouted at her. "Lucifer, Asmo, and the others take every chance they can get to insult me. Callin' me scum, sayin' that I'm a money-grubber and stuff...but I'm an officer of the student council, same as them. The elite of the elite, the top of the RAD social pyramid."  
  
Viorella raised her eyebrows as he gave the biggest, most ridiculous smile she'd ever seen in her life.   
  
"In other words, I'm a big shot. A REAL big shot. Like, even regular big shots are impressed by what a big shot I am." he must have noticed her incredulous expression because he starting scowling again. "So don't you go thinking that I'm just some ordinary demon. I'm nothing like those other peons walking the halls here." he paused for a moment as they began climbing the stairs. "By the way, Diavolo is even MORE of a big shot. He's so important that he's got his own castle. That's why he doesn't live here with us. Anyway, the long and short of it is that us seven brothers all live here together. Now, it's time I show you to your room..."  
  
Something on the wall at the top of that stairs caught Viorella's eye. A bulletin board. Her eyes gravitated towards a flyer advertising an opening for a part-time position.  
  
Mammon noticed that she had stopped a few paces behind him. "Hey, don't just stand there with your jaw open. Hurry up, or I'm gonna leave ya behind. If there's something you wanna ask me, you'd best do it now."  
  
"Sorry. I was looking at that job listing." Viorella moved to his side.   
  
Mammon shrugged. "You can take a look at it later if you want." he paused. "Wait, didn't ya get your own D.D.D.? It got that app called ':D JOBS' in there, right? Why doncha give that a try if ya wanna find a job."  
  
"I'll do that." Viorella said with a nod.   
  
Mammon nodded. "Now, I'm gonna give you a piece of advice, so listen up. If you wanna survive even a day here in the Devildom, you'd better listen REAL close to what I'm about to say."  
  
Viorella took a step back as Mammon advanced on her, his deep blue eyes intense, his white eyebrows lowered.  
  
"If it ever looks like a demon is about to attack you..." Mammon began, causing Viorella to shiver and grip her upper arm where her scarf-bandage covered her bloody fingernail marks. Mammon's eyes followed the movement to the wound as he finished his warning. "...run away. Either that, or die."  
  
"How about this? I vote for YOU to die, Mammon." cut in a new voice from behind them, causing Viorella to freeze.  
  
Mammon jumped back from his looming position over Viorella. "D'ah...! Levi..."  
  
Viorella's eyes snapped to the newcomer: a pale, slim man with wavy purple hair that swept into his eyes. He was wearing a RAD uniform. An expression that could only be described as murderous contorted his face as he looked at Mammon.   
  
Mammon took a step back. "...Uh, l-listen up, human! This here is Leviathan, the Avatar of Envy. He's the third oldest of us brothers." he chuckled nervously. "Since his name's sorta hard to say, you can just call him Levi! Okay then, let's move on."  
  
Viorella didn't move.   
_  
Why, hello, Leviathan.  
_  
Leviathan sniffed in utter disdain. "Mammon, give me back my money. Then go crawl in a hole and die."  
  
"Come on, I told you I'd get it to you! I just need a a little more time." Mammon protested, squirming beneath his brother's glare. "...And you still want me to die even after I give it back? That's real harsh, Levi!"  
  
"You need **a little** more time? How much more?" Leviathan demanded.   
  
"A **little** more, okay?! A little more means a little more!"   
  
"You've been telling me that for the last 200 years, Mammon."  
  
"Hey, no! It hasn't been 200 years! It's been 260! Get it right, Levi!"  
  
"Unbelievable. Seriously Mammon, you're--"  
  
"I'm what? **Scum**? Is that what you're gonna say?" Mammon interrupted indignantly.  
  
"--you're a **lowlife** and a **waste of space**." Leviathan resumed angrily.   
  
"Hey! Come on, that's even worse!"  
  
"Whatever... Just give me back my money. I need it to buy the Blu-ray box set of _Journey to the Devildom: The Tale of a little She-Devil and Her Reluctant Companion._ " Leviathan's expression of cold anger momentarily vanished, giving way to a giggle of excitement that brightened his face. "The initial round of copies includes promotional tickets to a live event as a special bonus."  
  
"I've got no idea what you're even talking about, Levi, but it doesn't matter!" Mammon interrupted him. "Because I don't even have any money to give you. How am I supposed to give back money I don't have, huh?!"  
  
Leviathan's smile dropped. "So then, you're telling me you **refuse** to pay me back?" he said darkly.  
  
Mammon's eyebrows shot up. "...What? You looking for a fight, is that it?"  
  
Viorella, who was disappointed that Leviathan had stopped smiling, cut into the conversation. "So then, you actually are a lowlife, Mammon?" she asked lightly.   
  
Mammon gave her a wounded look. "Hey! Don't call me a lowlife!"  
  
"But I didn't!" Viorella widened her eyes innocently. "It was a question."  
  
Mammon scowled at her. "Listen, human. You remember my advice from before about what to do when demons attack? Well, you're about to witness that for real. So..." he began shuffling backwards down the hallway. "...time for you to die, because if it's either you or me, it ain't gonna be me!"  
  
Leviathan frowned. "Hold on. I thought your advice was to either run away or--"  
  
Mammon spun on his heel and flashed down the hallway faster than Viorella's eyes could track.   
  
Viorella stared incredulously after him as he blatantly abandoned her.   
  
Leviathan was equally surprised at this turn of events. "...Wh...dammit, Mammon! That ass...!"  
  
Viorella tensed as Leviathan looked down at her with a haughty expression.   
  
"Do you realize what just happened?" he sniffed. "Mammon used you as a distraction to get away from me." when Viorella didn't respond, he added, "...Or maybe I should say he used you as a **sacrifice**."  
  
 _He has orange eyes._ Viorella noticed, squirming under their scornful stare.   
  
Leviathan shook his head. "I'll admit that Mammon is one of the scummiest scumbags you'll ever meet...a total lowlife. But still, that was pretty dumb of you letting him use you like that." he sighed. "This is EXACTLY why humans are--"  
  
His eyes snapped to Viorella as if seeing her for the first time. "...Wait a second. **Humans**...yes, that's it... Suddenly, I've got an idea."  
  
 _On one hand, he's smiling again and it's gorgeous, on the other hand... I don't think I'm going to like what comes next._  
  
"Listen, are you free right now?" Leviathan asked her. "Of course you are. You've gotta be, right?"  
  
Viorella bit her bottom lip. "Well..." she trailed off.  
  
Leviathan's half-concealed orange eyes had a determined, unyielding glint in them. "You know what? Never mind. Either way, **you're coming with me**."   
  
As Viorella helplessly followed Leviathan down the hall, she felt her D.D.D. vibrate in the pocket of her maxi-skirt. Pulling it out without slowing her pace, she glared at Mammon's smiling profile picture as she read his texts.  
  
 **Mammon:** _Heya, I suddenly remembered I have some business I gotta take care of. So, if ya need something, just ask Levi._  
  
Viorella scowled at the winking emoticon he sent.   
  
**Mammon:** _Oh, and just to make sure... Don't go around tellin' stuff to Lucifer, ya got that?_  
  
A glowering emoticon followed.   
  
Viorella sent the glowering emoticon right back at him.   
  
Mammon at least had the decency to send a nervously quaking emoticon before leaving the chat.   
  
_I'm going to murder this boy._


	3. Purple Hair, Solitaire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have such a huge crush on Levi. Help.

**"Solitaire**

**Something you consider rare**

**I don't wanna be compared, yeah**

**With that cheap shimmer and glitter." ~ Marina Diamandis, Solitaire**

Viorella half-ran down the red-carpeted hallway to keep up with Leviathan's driven strides. She cursed her short legs.  
  
_Why is everyone I meet so much taller than me?_  
  
Leviathan finally stopped at what was presumably his bedroom door and ushered her inside. He surreptitiously glanced up and down the hallway before closing the door behind them. Turning back to Viorella, he found her looking at him with her eyebrows raised questioningly.   
  
"...What? You want to know why I looked around to see if anyone was watching before the door?" Leviathan asked scornfully. "Why do you THINK I did it? Isn't it obvious?! Imagine what would happen if someone saw me inviting **you** into my room! A **human** who doesn't even look like **an otaku,** but **a normie**!" he looked horrified at the thought. "You know what people would say, right?!"  
  
Viorella's incredulous expression softened. "Actually, I'm an otaku, too."  
  
Leviathan took a step closer to her, his eyes brightening. "Really? You are...?" abruptly remembering himself, he shook himself and frowned at her. "W-Well, if you think that means I'll give you special treatment now, you've got another thing coming! Because I won't!"  
  
He huffed and strode across the room.   
  
Viorella took this moment to regard her surroundings. Leviathan's room gave her the distinct feel of being in an aquarium. Between the luminous aqua-blue of the ceiling and the darker lapis-blue of the floor, an ethereal, underwater atmosphere dominated the room, aided by the presence of a massive fish-tank that took up nearly the entirety of one of the walls. Neon lights placed in jellyfish-shaped paper lanterns floated about the room. A shelf laden with figurines graced the wall where Leviathan's gaming desk sat. The rest of the furniture was... Unconventional, to say the least.   
  
Leviathan plonked himself down on what Viorella vaguely recognized as an ottoman, and gestured for her to do the same.   
  
Viorella obediently settled herself on the ottoman opposite him.   
  
Leviathan regarded her with calculating eyes.   
  
Viorella squirmed. In order to escape his scrutiny, she turned her gaze towards the bookcase next to her. Its shelves were full of thick, hardcover books as big as encyclopedias. Tipping one of the heavy volumes towards her with her fingertips, she read the title:  
  
_The Tale of the Seven Lords: The Lord of Shadow Awakens_  
  
"What is it, human? What're you looking at?" Leviathan asked, leaning forward. His face lit up when he recognized the book she held in her hands. "Wait, that looks like... _The Tale of the Seven Lords_. Are you a fan of that, too?"  
  
Viorella winced when she realized it had been years since she'd had time to be a consummate fan of anything. "I'm afraid I've never heard of it." she admitted.   
  
Leviathan looked somewhere in between disbelieving and mortally offended. "...Excuse me? You don't know TSL? And you call yourself a human?! Just how clueless ARE you?! How could you not know?!"  
  
Viorella lifted her shoulders helplessly.  
  
"Just the fact that you don't know TSL alone is proof that you've been wasting your life! So, I'm going to do you a favour and teach you about TSL. Make sure you pay attention!" Leviathan ordered.  
  
Viorella placed her hands in her lap and nodded meekly.   
  
" _The Tale of the Seven Lords_ , otherwise known as TSL, is a series of fantasy novels written by Christopher Peugeot. It's a heroic epic spanning 138 volumes, and it's the most widely-read fantasy series in the world. There are even theatrical versions, an animated series, and feature films, too. And it's been translated into a total of 182 different languages." Leviathan explained without pausing for breath. "The 1990s theatrical version was an utter disaster, owing to the fact that they added several characters that were NOT present in the original manuscript. At the time I was like, "This producer totally needs to crawl in a hole and die!" But then the 2015 version came out and it was AMAZING! Better than amazing! If you ask me, it showed that needlessly cramming a female lead in there alongside Henry was a bad idea. That's not what he needs. What he NEEDS is a friend who really understands him, and the 2015 version proved that. Also, the most vital element of the story is that each of the seven lords is so unique. They're all so interesting in their own peculiar way. That's what makes TSL so great!"  
  
_I swear this boy just sparkled._  
  
Viorella relaxed unconsciously, noting every change in his expression as he spoke. As he expressed his personal views, his face lit up like a beacon, drawing her in and keeping her there as he continued his fast-talking deluge of information.  
  
"The lords are all brothers...the oldest is called the Lord of Corruption. He doesn't come across as being so bad at first, but he's always plotting and planning in secret. The second oldest is the Lord of Fools, a scumbag who'll do anything for money. The third oldest is called the Lord of Shadow, a brooding recluse. The fourth eldest is known as the Lord of Masks. He masquerades as a high-status, upstanding member of society, but underneath it all, he's an inhumane monster. The fifth oldest, the Lord of Lechery, only ever thinks of sex. The sixth oldest is the Lord of Flies, and he only ever thinks of food. Then there's the seventh oldest, called the Lord of Emptiness. He's weird...you never know what's running through his head!"  
  
Viorella realized she'd been smiling unconsciously for the last several minutes. Levi was so caught up in his story, he was glowing, radiating his emotions as he felt them and projecting them onto her with the skill of a talented storyteller.   
  
"It seems like most people like the oldest lord, the Lord of Corruption, the best. Everyone always talks about how great he is." Leviathan explained. "But not me. I like the third lord way more. Of course, I like Henry too. He's the protagonist. He's almost as great as the third lord. The second lord is total scum, a hopeless degenerate that leads a life of extravagance and indulgence. He's always causing trouble for the third lord. He's got these magical pigs that can give birth to solid gold piglets, and he treasures them above all else. So, Henry goes and talks to the pigs, and using his wit and powers of persuasion, he convinces them to leave with him. Then, he leads every last one of them away, and presents them to the third lord as a gift! Wow...I mean, they're SUCH GOOD FRIENDS, you can almost feel it! It's enough to make you cry! Oh, and then there's that one really awesome moment when the two of them realize they both like and respect each other, and they high-five! I just LOVE that part, you know? I wish I could have a moment like that."  
  
Leviathan finally stopped for breath. He seemed to be looking straight through Viorella at this point. The wistful look in his eyes deepened. "...I wish I could be like the third lord. I may be a recluse like him, but we're totally different, because he's got an amazing friend like Henry." he half refocused on Viorella and motioned across the room. "Check it out. See that goldfish in the tank there?"  
  
Viorella glanced towards the massive tank and located a single orange fish in its expansive waters.   
  
"He's actually named Henry." Leviathan told her. "I love TSL so much that I couldn't help naming him after the main character. But I can't really high-five a goldfish, can I?" he looked back to Viorella. "The original author of TSL, Christopher Peugeot, he's actually a human, you know? That's why I'm so jealous of you guys." he sighed deeply. Viorella inhaled jaggedly as she felt the desperate longing rolling off of him.  
  
Leviathan, unaware of his affect on her, slouched forward in his seat and stared right past her as he went on with his musings. "Humans are so lucky. You've got subscription services that let you watch your favourite anime anytime, you can go to Akihabara whenever you want... Why do only you guys get to experience all the good stuff? I mean, humans' whole concept of pleasure originally came from us demons, you know? We gave it to you. So, why can't we have a little of that back now, huh? I mean, I want to be able to go to a Japanese maid café, too. I want to hear the maids welcome me as if I'm the master of the house, to have them draw ketchup hearts on my fried rice omelette, to experience the magic of it all. I want to cosplay as Henry, and then go stand in the center of Akihabara, or maybe under that one building in Tokyo that's shaped like upside-down triangles. And once I'm there, I want to perform Henry's super-powerful signature finishing move for all to see and say the incantation that goes with it. I want to shout it at the top of my lungs!"  
  
Viorella's hands were no longer folded primly in her lap. She was gripping her upper left arm, her fingers pressing painfully into her recently broken skin. Aching emptiness, yearning and envy dominated Leviathan's mood and quickly infected her own.   
  
"...Actually, you know what? I want to BE Henry." Leviathan concluded, his voice snapping Viorella out of her trance. She stared at him without seeing him. Memories surfaced faster than she could push them down.   
  
_Stop it._  
  
"I'm afraid that's not really possible..." Viorella said in a monotone, speaking more to herself than to Leviathan.   
  
Leviathan sighed again. "I know that. But still, I'm free to fantasize about whatever I want now, aren't I?!" he winced and lifted a hand to his throat. "Ugh. Guess I've done a little too much talking. My throat hurts."  
  
Viorella smiled, though it took some effort. "I love fantasy. Well, used to." she amended. "It's been awhile since I've had the time to read, or play games, or even watch movies..."  
  
Leviathan looked as if he was about to scornfully dismiss her contribution to the conversation, but something in her guarded expression stopped him. He cleared his throat.   
  
"...All right, enough. This is starting to depress me. Anyway, I didn't bring you here to tell you about TSL." Levi brushed off the previous conversation. "I don't think there's any harm in just coming out and saying what you already know is true: Mammon is a complete and utter scumbag. It's very important that you understand this. So I'll say it one more time."  
  
Leaning forward, Leviathan rested his elbows on his thighs and clasped his hands together. "Mammon is a **hopeless** \--"  
  
_Check._  
  
"-- **worthless** \--"  
  
_Check._  
  
"-- **scumbag**."   
  
_No arguments here._  
  
"I lent that scumbag money, and now I want him to pay me back. But being the scumbag that he is, he won't do it." Leviathan continued evenly. "I wish I could force him to, but despite what a rotten waste of space he is, Mammon's still the second oldest. As the third oldest, no matter how hard I try, I don't stand a chance against him."  
  
Viorella hid her smile. She recognized this state of affairs. "You really regard your brother as an enemy, don't you? What happened there?"  
  
"Well, it's a long story, but sure. I'll tell you, human." Leviathan conceded. "Once, a long time ago, Mammon won a prize in a convenience store promotional campaign. If you bought something, they let you reach into a box and pull out a piece of paper that told you what you'd won. And the prize that Mammon won was a Seraphina figure, something I would've died to have. But, despite the fact that Mammon had no interest in it at all, he refused to give it to me. Why? Because I wanted it...that's it. That was the only reason."  
  
Viorella bit her lip as the situation became more and more obviously familiar.  
  
"I wanted it, and he said no just to torment me." Levi scowled at the memory. "I mean, how awful is that?! So, I got to thinking... Mammon's going to end up treating Seraphina like some random piece of junk. That much is a given. I can maybe handle it if he at least leaves her in her original packaging, but what if he actually takes her out of the box?! He might just do it! And if he does, he'll get dust on her, won't he?! I decided I had to save Seraphina, so I snuck into Mammon's room in the middle of the night. And what do you think I saw there?!"  
  
"Had he taken her out of the box?!" Viorella asked with wide eyes.   
  
"You're not gonna believe it." Levi said with a shake of his head. "No, he didn't open the box... It's way worse than that. He hadn't even taken it out of the plastic convenience store bag, which he'd tossed on the floor of his room. THE FLOOR! He actually left SERAPHINA on the FLOOR! The Queen of the High Elves herself! Sure, she seems cold and prideful at first, but once you get her alone, you find out that she really wants affection, she just doesn't know how to admit it, and it's soooo cute! Yet Mammon just threw her on the floor! And I don't think he'd cleaned it in three months. It was covered in junk. Old empty cup ramen containers, tissues with dried snot and...and boogers in them. Stuff was strewn everywhere. And there she was, lying amongst all of that! On the FLOOR! Tossed aside like so much junk! How COULD he?!"  
  
Viorella debated whether or not she should attempt to calm him down.   
  
Leviathan's face contorted with genuine distress and remembered fury. "It was so awful that I just lost it, and flew into a rage. I walked straight over to Mammon, who was lying on his bed asleep. Then I raised my leg up into the air over him and brought my heel down onto his stomach as hard as I could. But the next thing I knew, he wasn't there on the bed anymore. It all happened so fast. He moved with incredible speed. He grabbed me, picked me up, and slammed me headfirst onto the floor in a pile driver. And the worst part is that he was STARK NAKED!"  
  
_Now there's an image I didn't need in my head._  
  
Levi's expression of disgusted horror mirrored what Viorella felt at this. "...As I started to lose consciousness, I remember thinking...why does he have to sleep in the nude? He could at least put on some underwear. I don't remember anything else after that..."  
  
"That's a traumatic experience if ever I heard one." Viorella observed sympathetically. "But what do you need me for?"  
  
Levi watched her from under his purple hair. "You've seen just how fast he is yourself, haven't you? No one aside from Lucifer or Beel has that kind of speed. But if, say, a **human** made a **pact** with Mammon, and bound him to their service..." he eyed Viorella significantly. "...then he'd have to do whatever that human told him to. Which means that if you make a pact with Mammon and then ordered him to give me back my money..." he chuckled gleefully. "he wouldn't have any choice but to do it."  
  
Understanding dawned on Viorella. But she was nothing if not careful when it came to details. "What's a pact?" she asked warily.   
  
Leviathan raised his eyebrows. "A pact, with a demon... Haven't you seen that in movies and such? The demon lends his strength to a human to make their wish come true in exchange for their soul."  
  
Viorella's eyes widened. "That's pretty cool!" she exclaimed.  
  
Leviathan gave her a strange look before he burst out laughing. "Your reaction is kinda worrisome considering I didn't even tell you about the risks yet, but oh well!" he leaned towards her. "Using demons sounds cool, right? You wanna give it a try? Also, I'm sure it would be useful having him as your servant. I mean, despite how awful he is, he's still a powerful demon. But I bet you feel worried, being dragged down here to the Devildom and all. So, I don't think it would end up being a bad deal for you either. Don't you agree?"  
  
Viorella tilted her head sideways. "How would I go about doing that?"   
  
"I take it this means you think this plan of mine could work, right? **Excellent**." Leviathan observed. "You may be a human, but still...you show some promise!"  
  
Viorella snorted.   
  
"Regardless, if I'm being honest, I don't really care what **you** think." Leviathan told her. "What's important is that **I** have a plan, and I'm going to explain it to you now. So, shut up and listen."  
  
_With such a sweetheart asking me, how could I refuse?_  
  
"If you just walk up to Mammon and ask him to make a pact with you, he'll never agree." Leviathan explained. "No, you need some leverage...a **bargaining chip**. You're going to offer him something in return... Something he wants so badly that he'd do ANYTHING to get it."  
  
~  
  
Viorella closed the door and rested her forehead against it. Her fatigue had finally hit her with full force, and suddenly her own bodyweight seemed staggering.   
  
Her meeting with the demon brothers, especially Mammon, had left her shaken and disconcerted. Then Leviathan's hour-long lecture about TSL and his detailed instructions on how she was to go about making a pact with Mammon had drained the last of her emotional stamina.   
  
Slowly pushing away from the door, Viorella turned to face her new bedroom.   
  
She blinked. "There's a tree in here." she observed aloud to no one. She walked over to the unexpected vegetation and hugged it around the trunk. Lichen dug into her cheek. "Yep, this is a tree, alright." she confirmed.   
  
Viorella let go of the tree and walked to the middle of the room to survey it. It was spacious, almost twice the size of her bedroom in the human world. Against one wall nestled a large, dreamy-looking bed strewn with half a dozen pink and lavender pillows. Vines grew along the raw grey brick of the wall, and the tree overhung the bed, creating a welcoming, verdant nook. From the branches hung with a tiny chandelier full of lit candles as well as several mismatched lamps that gave off gold and green light.   
  
The draping branches of the tree subtly and naturally cut the room in half. Aside from the cozy sleeping area, the room also had an entire dining table with matching chairs, a coffin-shaped shelf and a chest of drawers. Unlike the vegetated half of the room that contained the bed, the other half of the room had dark green and gold wallpaper instead of open brick. Both halves of the room were stunning.   
  
With a shuddering gasp, Viorella strode across the wooden floorboards and onto the rugs that covered the floor in front of the bed. She sank to her knees as the tears began to fall. Dizziness engulfed her.   
  
She sat there for a while, her body shaking with silent sobs until she got distracted by the dancing light of the candles in the chandelier. As she stared at the delicate orange flames, her overwhelmed sobs receded and her mood shifted from confused despair to a languid sleepiness.   
  
Viorella located a bathroom on the other side of the tree, and washed her tear-swollen face in the sink. She also attended to her arm, rinsing it with cold water and wrapping it in proper bandages. She left her blood-sprinkled clothes on one of the dining chairs and made her way to the bed.   
  
Upon the inviting pink covers, a dark charcoal RAD uniform was laid out for her. Military-style jacket with a belt, standard green shirt and two options for bottoms: trousers with a scarlet stripe running down the leg, like the demon brothers wore, or a voluminous scarlet miniskirt.  
  
Viorella picked up her jacket and ran her fingers over the quilted sleeves with the golden teardrops at the diamond intersections.   
  
"It's not so bad." she whispered. "I love quilted leather. And I look good in a belt." she draped the uniform over the elaborate headboard and tucked herself into the bed. The soft pink pillow was cool against her flushed cheek.  
  
_Maybe I'll be back in the human world in the morning._


	4. One Particular Weakness

**"Morn came and went--and came, and brought no day." ~ Lord Byron, Darkness**

Viorella woke up in an unfamiliar pink bed. Dread pooled in the pit of her stomach. This was really happening. She was an exchange student in a world of demons, and there was nothing she could do about it.   
  
Taking deep breaths that did little to slow her racing heart, Viorella made her way to the bathroom, where she found a toothbrush provided for her.   
  
After brushing her teeth, she glanced up at her reflection in the mirror. And winced.   
  
_What I wouldn't do for some makeup right now.  
_  
Viorella wet her hands and began halfheartedly fixing her sleep-squashed curls. As she did so, her gaze drifted to the bathroom's window. It was dark.   
  
Confused and a little alarmed, Viorella climbed onto the side of the bath and opened the window just to make sure. Outside, the sky was black and starless and the air was cool against her bare skin.   
  
_I can't possibly have slept through a full day.  
_  
Viorella rushed back to her bed and hunted for her D.D.D., eventually finding it under one of the pillows. She exhaled in relief when she confirmed that she'd only been asleep for ten hours.   
  
This only deepened her confusion. It was almost nine in the morning, and it was still dark outside?  
  
Viorella had no time to dwell on this, though. Her bewilderment at the sunless sky faded away as the cold dread of anticipation reclaimed its place on the forefront of her mind.   
  
Viorella dressed herself in her new uniform with her stomach twisted in a million knots.   
  
~  
  
Fortunately, RAD was less than five minutes on foot from the House of Lamentation, and Viorella had no problem navigating her way by retracing the route she'd taken with Mammon the evening before.   
  
Her problems only really began once she got inside the academy.   
  
Viorella transferred her academy-issued satchel from her left shoulder to her right as she started up the grand stone staircase, the heavy textbook inside bouncing against her hip with each step. She was too busy checking the schedule downloaded on her D.D.D. to notice the sets of footsteps on the stairs behind her until their voices carried up to her.   
  
"Hey, check it out. **That's** the human that everyone's been talking about. You think it's true what they say, that **Mammon** became a babysitter?"  
  
Viorella kept her pace steady as glanced over her shoulder, hoping her bushy hair would conceal the movement. Two people in RAD uniforms were walking up the stairs a few metres behind her. One had wavy black hair restrained in a messy braid, the other was blonde and freckled. The smirk they both wore as they eyed her up felt like icy fingers dragging along Viorella's spine.  
  
The blonde student grinned broadly at the black-haired one. "Well, if so, then I'd say that actually works out great, doncha think? If we wait and strike when he's not paying attention, he'll never figure out it was us. C'mon, we should devour the human before Beel does."  
  
Viorella ghosted her fingertips along the staircase railing as she quickened her pace ever so slightly.   
  
"Hey, you there."   
  
Viorella flinched away from the voice that addressed her from much too close. Her muscles locked into place.   
  
_I should have just ran like Mammon told me._  
  
"That's right, I'm talking to you, the human with that frightened, tormented look on your face that demons love so much." the voice continued. A graceful man with silver-white hair overtook her with soundless strides. He stopped on the step above her and examined her with tolerant amusement etched on his agelessly handsome face. "You're practically screaming, "Come and eat me! I'm scrumptious!" Your name's Viorella, isn't it? This D.D.D. here belongs to you, right? I saw you drop it just now." he smiled warmly when Viorella remained frozen. He gently grabbed her wrist and pressed the phone into her hand. "Here, take it."  
  
Viorella inhaled in a shuddering gasp as she felt more than heard the two students who'd spoken of devouring her pass by her. She was acutely aware of two things: the fact that the silver-haired man had yet to release his innocuous hold on her wrist, and the fact that she was quite unable to breathe until the two students were out of earshot. After what felt like hours, but was likely in reality a few seconds, she exhaled jaggedly.   
  
Disoriented, Viorella centered herself on the man who stood before her. He wore a RAD uniform too. It was immaculately buttoned, like Lucifer's.   
  
_A fellow student. A demon?_  
  
The silver-haired student let go of her wrist and laughed softly. "What's with that look? There's no need to be suspicious of me. My name's Solomon. I'm an exchange student from the human world, just like you. Nice to meet you, Viorella."   
  
"I... Nice to meet you too, Solomon. Um." Viorella stumbled over her words in her ruffled state. She took in Solomon's reflective silver eyes and utterly serene demeanour. He looked human, but then again, so did the demon brothers. Without thinking, she blurted, "Are you really human?"  
  
Solomon laughed again. "Good question. Honestly, there are times when even I'm not so sure." he put a hand to his chin. "Long ago, I obtained a ring of wisdom--a gift from a certain someone in a VERY high position. And, drunk on its power, I used it to form pacts with 72 different demons, becoming a **wicked sorcerer**... That is, if you believe all the stories people tell about me. Regardless, I'm fairly sure that I am indeed still human, though it may not seem like it."  
  
"Well, thank you for just now." Viorella told him, regaining some of her composure. The immediate danger was passed, and she didn't view Solomon as a threat.   
  
Solomon regarded her with unreadable eyes before glancing up the stairs to the upper landing. "...Uh-oh. I'd better get going. See you around, Viorella. Take care of yourself." with a parting smile, he turned and gliding away.   
  
Viorella stood quite still in the middle of the staircase, chewing over what had just occurred. The sound of voices and footsteps coming in on the ground floor quickly jolted her from her stationary reverie. She quickened her pace up the stairs, pulling out her D.D.D. and opening the map of the academy to check where her classroom was.   
  
"A Curses and Hexes class?! What the..." Viorella trailed off.  
  
 _Oh, right. Demon school._  
  
For some reason, this was amusing enough to cause a giggle to escape her. It sounded odd, high and echoing on the currently deserted staircase.   
  
Viorella shook her head in a vain attempt to clear it as she arrived on the upper landing and almost slammed into someone. A very tall someone wearing a high-collared black shirt underneath their RAD uniform. The faint scent of lemon verbena brushed her senses before she took a step back to look up at whoever it was.   
  
Lucifer inclined his head in greeting. "Good morning, Viorella." he regarded her with an analytical smile. "You've become quite the celebrity here, haven't you?"  
  
Viorella shifted under his gaze. "Good morning, sir." she greeted quietly.   
  
"Looks like you made it through the night without being eaten. Good for you. Still, there's no guarantee that you'll make it to tomorrow." Lucifer observed.   
  
"That's comforting to hear." Viorella said tonelessly.   
  
Lucifer continued as if she hadn't spoken. "Was that Solomon I saw you talking with earlier?" he asked.   
  
"Yes." Viorella answered.   
  
Lucifer nodded. "You and he are the only two students from the human world here. Seeing as you're both human, it's fine if you associate with him, but know that he **can't** be trusted." his face darkened. "He may be a mere human, but he has a ring imbued with wisdom, and he wields powerful magic. He's the type of man who will try to subjugate even a powerful, greater demon if he gets the chance."  
  
Lucifer's words reminded Viorella of her briefing with Leviathan the evening before...   
  
_"Lucifer has something that Mammon wants, something he'd kill to get..." Levi said, leaning towards her with a conspiratorial glint in his eyes. "I'm referring to Mammon's credit card, which Lucifer took away from him...Hey, I see that look on your face, and I know what you're thinking. "A credit card? Pfft, why would he care so much about something like that?" Well, you've got no idea just how much he depends on that thing. Let's see, what did he used to call it again? "My one true love"? It was something like that. It was like he thought it was a woman. He probably named it. I bet he even slept with it. Gross. That idiot used it constantly. Never stopped. Eventually, Lucifer had had enough of his behavior, so he confiscated it. There's nothing Mammon wouldn't do if it meant getting his credit card back, I'm sure of it. So, listen up. I want you to talk to Lucifer and find out where he's hidden it. Of course, he can't suspect anything. You've got to be subtle, like it happened to come up naturally. Make sure you do a good job, or else!"_  
  
"What is it, Viorella?" Lucifer's voice pulled her back into the present. He had a knowing smirk on his face that unsettled her a little. "Is there something you want to ask me?"  
  
Viorella met his gaze steadily as if she hadn't just zoned out for the last thirty seconds. "Yes. I want to know more about Mammon." she said.   
  
Lucifer gave her a look of surprise, apparently taken off-guard by the request. "Mammon? Why do you want to know about him all of a sudden? Still, I guess it's only natural, considering he's the one assigned to look after you... Mammon is my brother. I don't want to say anything unkind about him. So, I'll try to be sparing in my criticism." he cleared his throat delicately. "He's pure scum. The scummiest sort of scum. Pure, unfiltered, disgusting scum to the point that I'm embarrassed to call him a fellow demon, much less my brother."   
  
_Nothing I don't already know._   
  
"...So, any particular reason you asked, or were you just curious?" Lucifer asked.   
  
Viorella adopted an innocent expression for her next question. "What kind of weaknesses does Mammon have?" she asked, tucking a frizz of hair behind her ear.   
  
Lucifer smirked. "Are you implying that you think I know his weaknesses, and can exploit them when I like? Because I suppose that is true in a way. However, that's not the only reason he can't say no to me."   
  
Lucifer's gaze lingered on her for several silent seconds as he considered his next words. "As long as we're on the subject, it just so happens that I've taken one particular **weakness** of his and **frozen** it." he told her.   
  
The shrill sound of a bell rang through the building, startling Viorella.   
  
"That's the first bell." Lucifer observed. "Class is about to start. Time to get going. You'd better hurry too." he added to Viorella. "You don't want to be late on your first day here."  
  
Viorella slipped her thumb under the strap of her satchel and headed for her classroom.   
  
~  
  
Viorella was mostly just surprised that she'd made it through her first day of school without being devoured by one of her fellow students. The classes themselves, if you overlooked the fact that they taught demonic subjects such as curses and hexes, mathematics, and seductive speechcraft, were actually not so different from classes she'd taken in the human world.   
  
Thinking on it now, apart from the fact that everyone she'd met so far besides Solomon was a demon who probably wanted to eat her, and the fact that there wasn't a sun in the sky, the Devildom could pass for a regular human city at a brief glance. A very brief glance, mind you.   
  
Still, Viorella quickly perceived the danger this place held for her. When school ended, she'd hunted high and low for Mammon, who, if she remembered correctly, was supposed to be her caretaker, for about fifteen minutes before giving up and finding her own methods for getting home safely.   
  
The app on her D.D.D. called Nightmare turned out to be some sort of magical digital spell book, and with a bit of trial and error, she figured out how to summon a tiny demon that looked like an inkblot with horns wearing a top hat. While she wasn't sure what such a tiny demon could do to defend her if she got attacked on her way home, it felt much better to have an escort.   
  
Now, safe and sound in her room in the House of Lamentation, Viorella abandoned her homework in favour of taking a two-hour bath.   
  
Sitting down on her bed with wet, freshly washed hair, Viorella felt slightly better. She'd effectively avoided an encounter with any of the demon brothers aside from Lucifer for a full day, and her first day at RAD had been successful.   
  
Maybe, just maybe, she could handle this.   
  
Viorella wrapped her black cotton top around her damp hair, not wanting to spoil her curls by using a towel. The absent attention to her hair struck a chord with her tonight. A smile tugged at her lips as her mind wandered to Rosette, who'd always held her hair routine sacred, ingraining the habit into Viorella by extension.   
  
If she missed anyone in the human world right now, it was Rosette.   
  
Viorella curled into a fetal position on the bed as a distinct feeling of loneliness overtook her. She wasn't afraid. The Devildom, for all its individual dangers, did not make her feel afraid, only stressed by the high expectations of her position as an exchange student. But being separated from Rosette for a _year_... It was a little much. And her brothers...   
  
To distract herself, Viorella attempted to decipher her homework as the Devildom transitioned from the darkness of day to the darkness of night.  
  
Hours passed, and Viorella left her bed and moved to the dining area of her room to look at the moon through the window. It was so much bigger and brighter than the moon in the human world.   
  
A voice rose and fell somewhere in the house. Viorella leaned her head against the window as her mind wandered to her host family. She frowned as something occurred to her.   
  
Lucifer had definitely said there were seven brothers. Counting wasn't Viorella's strong point, but she was pretty sure...   
  
_Lucifer, the oldest... Mammon, the second oldest... Leviathan, the third oldest... Satan, the fourth oldest... Asmodeus, the fifth oldest... Beelzebub, the sixth oldest..._  
  
Viorella double-checked her memory. She'd met six brothers. Of that, she was certain.  
  
 _The seventh and youngest...?_  
  
Viorella went back to bed and faceplanted the pillow. Lying still didn't slow her obstinately active mind in the slightest. Thoughts of RAD schoolwork, her life in the human world, and a million unrelated questions assailed her.   
  
Her D.D.D. vibrated next to her head. Viorella sat up to open the message she'd just received.   
  
It was from Leviathan, whose profile picture appeared to be a fire-breathing dragon.   
  
**Leviathan:** _You say Lucifer mentioned having frozen something? Are you absolutely sure that's what he said?_  
  
 **Viorella:** _Yep, I'm absolutely sure._  
  
 **Leviathan:** _Come to the kitchen. Right now._  
  
 **Leviathan:** _Don't tell anyone what you're doing. I don't want anyone to mistakenly think that I hang out with some human normie._  
  
Viorella reflected that if that Mammon boy spoke to her like that, she'd probably plot his murder. But Levi was just the prettiest purple muffin, so she ignored his tone as she hunted for something to wear among her limited supply of clothes.   
  
Someone, presumably Lucifer, had stocked the chest of drawers with some basic things such as underwear, a pair of black cotton shorts, a couple of plain white T-shirts, a camisole and socks. Viorella had not used any of the clothes aside from the underwear until now.   
  
Throwing on the shorts and camisole, she slipped out of her bedroom   
  
~  
  
Viorella edged tentatively into the kitchen. The glow of the fireplace as well as several lanterns cast a warm orange glow on the would-be cold grey stone floors and walls.   
  
Three steps inside, Viorella froze as she heard a crunching sound coming from the other side of the room. A low murmur accompanied it.   
  
Someone was in here with her.   
  
"Ah, perfect timing." said a deep voice, to Viorella's alarm.   
  
Beelzebub, the tall, redheaded one whose muscular frame could fit two or three Viorellas inside it, stood up from his crouch in front of the open refrigerator. "Listen, do you have any food on you? Because there's not nearly enough in the fridge." he gave her puppydog eyes. "...I'm hungry."  
  
Viorella lifted her shoulders helplessly. "Sorry, I've got nothing on me." she said.   
  
Beelzebub regarded her suspiciously. "Anyway, what're you doing in the kitchen so late?"  
  
"I was hungry." Viorella replied. It wasn't a lie. She'd barely eaten since arriving in the Devildom, finding their cuisine somewhat incompatible with her human stomach. The dry cereal she'd picked at that morning had contained what appeared to be dried newts, and had noticeably worsened her nausea.  
  
Beelzebub nodded sympathetically. "Ah, you're hungry? That makes two of us, then. In that case, I understand. When you start feeling hungry in the middle of the night, it's not like you can just wait until morning to eat. Oh, and the refrigerator's empty. I already ate everything in there." he added with a sunny smile.   
  
Viorella relaxed under the influence of his genuine smiles and friendly attitude. He suddenly didn't seem so intimidating anymore.   
  
_I wonder if..._  
  
Beelzebub gave her a sidelong glance. "What? Is there something you wanted to talk to me about?"  
  
Viorella nodded slowly. "I was just wondering... Who is your seventh brother? I don't believe I've--"  
  
"...Now listen, don't you **ever** mention him in front of Lucifer." Beelzebub hissed. His abrupt hostility caused Viorella to take a step back. Beelzebub glared at her. "Just so we're clear, I'm not going to tell you anything, either. Lucifer would yell at me if I did. And don't bother asking any of my brothers, either. Nobody talks about **him**. Even though he's our brother..." Beelzebub's anger could not hide the pain that crept into his dark eyes. "...we have to treat him like he doesn't exist. It's not right. But since no one can defy Lucifer..."   
  
Viorella clasped her upper arm and remained still and silent as Beelzebub glared at her.   
  
After a few seconds, he composed himself and shook his head. "...You know what? This isn't any of your business, human. I'm leaving. I've already eaten everything there was in the refrigerator now anyway." as he passed Viorella in the doorway, he muttered to himself, "I'm pretty sure Lucifer is hiding a poisoned apple in the desk in the study..."  
  
Alone in the kitchen, Viorella rubbed her arm as she stared after him.   
  
_What is going on here?_  
  
"...psst...hey!" a disembodied voice hissed at her from the shadows next to the fireplace.   
  
Viorella backed into the doorframe with a squeak of alarm. "I knew it! This house is haunted!"   
  
"Seriously?" the disembodied voice demanded. "No! Over here! Look!"   
  
Purple hair emerged from the shadows as Leviathan crawled out of his hiding place.   
  
Viorella giggled as she made her way over to him. "What are you doing hiding there?"   
  
Leviathan glared at her as he dusted off his long black-and-white jacket. "What do you think? Beel was just in here! I can't have him finding me with **you** , now can I?!"   
  
Viorella stuck out her bottom lip.   
  
Leviathan ignored her pouting. "So, it's really true, right? Lucifer definitely used the word " **frozen** "?" he asked.   
  
Viorella nodded.  
  
"In that case, it could only be hidden in **here**." Leviathan declared, striding past her to the fridge.   
  
Viorella raised her eyebrows. "In the freezer?" she said dubiously.   
  
Leviathan rummaged through the contents of the freezer while Viorella perched on the kitchen table to watch. "Hmm...all I see is a bunch of ice inside. ...Oh wait, look! It's the ice cream Satan hid from Beel about a century ago. I totally forgot about that. Heh, I'm not going to tell him, though. It'd spoil the joke. He'll probably figure it out in another 2000 years or so, I'd say."   
  
Viorella rolled her eyes at this but offered no comment.   
  
Leviathan shoved the ice cream back where he'd found it, and paused. "...Wait a second. There's something else there behind the ice." he pulled a block of ice out of the freezer. A block of ice with a credit card frozen in its center.   
  
Viorella blinked incredulously as Levi held it up to her.   
  
"Found it! Lucifer wasn't lying. It really IS frozen!" Levi winced. "Ugh, it's super heavy! And big, too! I'm gonna put it in the microwave and thaw it. Let's see, I guess about two minutes on auto should do the trick." he placed it in the microwave and pushed the start button with a nod of satisfaction.  
  
~  
  
Mammon marched into the kitchen, scowling.  
  
"What's with all the racket, you two?" he demanded. The human, sitting with her legs crossed on the kitchen table, shot him a startled look, but Levi appeared to be watching something rotating in the microwave. Mammon zeroed in on it. "...HEY, wait a minute! There in the microwave..."  
  
A massive grin spread over his face. "That looks like Goldie, my credit card! My baby! The one thing more important to me than life itself...!" the current situation of his precious credit card occurred to him. "Get it outta there before the microwave demagnetizes it and makes it useless!"   
  
"Ooh, didn't think of that. Better stop the defrost cycle, I guess!" Levi said, clearly not overly concerned.   
  
"Levi, you **idiot**! How could you do somethin' so stupid?! You're dumb as a stump, ya know that?!" Mammon fumed.  
  
Levi smiled at him. "Hmm, are you SURE you should be talking to me like that, Mammon? After all, **I'm** the one who found the credit card Lucifer took from you."   
  
Mammon swallowed back his insults as Levi held up Goldie like a playing card.   
  
"So, do you want me to give you your card back?" Levi asked him.  
  
"You'd BETTER! ...Um, I mean, yes, please. Please give it back, Leviathan, sir...!" Mammon pleaded, dropping to his knees.   
  
"Oh wow, this is embarrassing!" Leviathan shook his head in disappointment. "I can't believe that's all it took for you to abandon your pride! You're one of the seven rulers of the Devildom, Mammon. Shouldn't you be ashamed of yourself? Well, whatever... Okay then, if you want your card back, you've got to give me the Seraphina figure you won at the convenience store."  
  
Mammon gave him a nonplussed look. "The Sera...what now? What're ya talkin' about? I don't remember winnin' anything."   
  
"I don't believe this!" Levi exclaimed, outraged. "You forgot that you even have her! How could you?!"   
  
"Ugh, c'mon, enough!" Mammon wasn't in the mood for one of Levi's rants. " **Whatever you want** , I'll give it to ya! Just give me back my credit card!"   
  
Levi nodded in agreement. "All right, but there's one more condition: **I want you to make a pact with this human**."   
  
Mammon got to his feet and dusted off his knees, too overjoyed to be getting Goldie back to register what his brother had just said. "Right, a pact, fine. I'm more than happy to do whatever you..." he trailed off as it hit him. "...wait, **WHAT**?! Why d'ya want ME to make a PACT?!"  
  
"Think about it: If you make a pact with Viorella, you'll have to do whatever you're told, right?" Levi explained gleefully. "Then Viorella'll order you to give me my money back immediately. And since you can't refuse a direct order from your master, you'll do exactly that. **Game over, I win!** "  
  
Mammon glared at him. "Pfft, I don't believe this. It's just money, Levi. I can't believe you'd go through all this trouble!"  
  
Levi raised his eyebrows. "Excuse me? Remind me again which one of us tossed aside what little pride he had left, all to get his hands on a **credit card**?"  
  
Mammon growled in frustration. "Hey, you shut up! And you, human! What're ya thinking, lettin' Levi use you like this? Are you stupid? Go on, say somethin'!"  
  
The human uncrossed her bare legs and slipped off the kitchen table. She marched up to Mammon and glared at him. For someone more than a foot shorter than him, she commanded a surprisingly authoritative demeanour.   
  
"Make a pact with me, Mammon." she demanded.  
  
Mammon was having none of it. "UH-UH, NO WAY! NOT INTERESTED! I am the Great Mammon, Avatar of Greed, one of the seven rulers of the Devildom! Fool...do you actually think I'd let some **human** be the boss of me?"  
  
The human glanced over at Levi, who promptly pivoted towards the doorway and sang, "Oh **Luuucifeeer**! Mammon's here unfreezing his credit caaaard!"   
  
Mammon whirled to face the human with a painful fake laugh. "I mean, **of course** I'll make a pact with you, human! **I'd be thrilled to!** "  
  
The human bit her lip doubtfully.   
  
Levi grinned triumphantly.   
  
Mammon bit into his own thumb, drawing blood. He seized the human by the arm and dragged her towards him, which earned him a squeak of protest and a kick to the shin, both of which he ignored.   
  
In the intricate, angry scrawl of the Devildom language, he marked her in blood on her left wrist.   
  
The human gasped as the pact mark seared scarlet, before receding rapidly into her soft golden-brown skin. 


	5. A Little She-Devil and her Reluctant Companion

**"She may be the beauty or the beast**

**May be the famine or the feast**

**May turn each day into a heaven**

**Or a hell." ~ Charles Aznavour, She**

Viorella had been sitting rigidly on her bed, staring at her left wrist for the past hour and a half.  
  
No visible mark of the pact could be detected on her skin but she could _feel_ it. The circular pattern Mammon had traced with his fingers was a fresh, almost tangible memory, haunting her skin even now, hours later. She shivered, hugging her tingling wrist to her chest. Her nerves were frayed beyond belief.   
  
Viorella tore herself out of her trance and checked her D.D.D.. It was half past six in the morning.  
  
 _Brilliant._   
  
Viorella threw her D.D.D. at her pillow. The device thudded softly into its target. Viorella found this incredibly unsatisfying.   
  
Still. It couldn't be helped. Viorella's neatly folded uniform beckoned her from where it sat nestled on the seat of a chair. She may as well get dressed.   
  
_I need to eat._  
  
Deciding it was high time she stopped hiding from her host family, Viorella made the executive decision to go down to breakfast with them. Hiding in her room until class time would not bring back lost sleep, nor would it make the discomfort of whatever Mammon had done to her go away.   
  
~  
  
Viorella entered the dining room with two goals in mind: to be distracted from her angst, and to find something to eat that her stomach would accept.   
  
Asmodeus's high, clear laughter rang out over the breakfast table as Viorella quietly sat down next to him.   
  
"Asmodeus, keep your voice down." Satan chided, seated on Asmodeus's other side. "If Mammon hears you, he'll get upset again, and we won't hear the end of it."  
  
"Eh, he won't be awake for a while." Asmodeus said dismissively, popping slice of fruit into his mouth. "He's really not a morning demon, you know? And anyway, how can you NOT laugh after what's happened? I mean, this is Mammon, and yet a human was able to play him like a fiddle and force him into a pact."  
  
Satan snickered into his coffee cup.   
  
Asmodeus reached over and tickled him in the side. "Hey, I hear you laughing, Satan! I know you think it's funny, too!"   
  
Across from Viorella, Beelzebub was completely absorbed in the food on the table rather than the conversation around it.   
  
"Mm, this is delicious. The meat is so tender..." Beelzebub murmured around a mouthful of purplish pink ham.   
  
"Beel, calm down." Leviathan complained from Beelzebub's right hand side. "You're biting off chunks of your **plate** along with your food."  
  
Viorella smiled absently as she looked down at her own plate. She gingerly selected a large, black-veined purple fruit that vaguely resembled a plum and bit into it. The flavour was surprisingly sweet and not at all unpleasant.   
  
Asmodeus relinquished his conversation with Satan and swivelled in his chair to face Viorella. "Anyway, I have to say I'm surprised. I never thought an average human like you would be able to make a pact with Mammon--certainly not THIS fast. I guess they really did know what they were doing when they picked you for the exchange program, huh?"  
  
Viorella hid her lips behind the plum and stared at him, unsure how to respond. "I did what I could, that's all." she said.   
  
"There's no need to be humble about it." Satan leaned forward to speak to her across Asmodeus. "We're not upset. Honestly, we think it's pretty funny."   
  
Viorella tried, with middling success, not to choke on her plum as she realized Satan had just spoken to her.   
  
"All I know is that I finally got Mammon to give me back my money." Leviathan put in. "So, I couldn't ask for a better outcome! **Epic win for Leviathan!** I should have rounded up a random human and done this sooner!" Viorella was momentarily distracted from Satan's smouldering eyes by Levi's sparkling ones. "Now I'll be able to buy the Blu-ray box set of _Journey to the Devildom: The Tale of a Little She-Devil and her Reluctant Companion_! The initial round of copies includes promotional tickets to a live event as a special bonus! That live event is going to be soooooo epic!"   
  
"You know, I find it surprising enough that Viorella managed to make a pact with Mammon..." Asmodeus observed thoughtfully. "But what's even more shocking is **the team-up with Levi** that helped make it happen. Don't you think?"   
  
Satan nodded in agreement. "Yep, I never thought I'd see the day that **a** **human** won over Levi, but here we are."   
  
"Excuse me?!" Levi scoffed, covering the lower half of his face with one hand. "Don't go getting the wrong idea. Nobody **won me over**! Our interests just happened to align, that's all! The relationship was purely **business**! I mean, why would I want anything to do with some non-otaku **normie** of a human? I wouldn't! I mean, I'm spoken for! I'm no cheater! M-M-My one true love is--"  
  
" **Cheeseburgers.** " Beelzebub said happily.   
  
"No! That's YOUR one true love, Beel!" Levi sniffed.   
  
"Mm...I get hungry just thinking about them." Beel sighed dreamily.   
  
"You know, the way things are going, the rest of us might just find ourselves in a pact with Viorella as well if we're not careful." Asmodeus teased. He leaned his cheek against the side of Viorella's chair. "If you had your choice, which one of us would you forge a pact with **next** , Viorella?"  
  
Viorella swallowed a bite of plum and blinked at the unexpected question. "Um. Beel?" she offered.   
  
"Uh-uh. No." Beel said firmly. He paused to inhale three slices of toast. "Although, if you'd make sure I always had tons and tons of food--as much as I could eat--then I'd consider it."  
  
"...Beel." Satan sighed. "Have you been reaching over and swiping food off of Viorella's plate this whole time?"   
  
Viorella placed her plum pit on her empty plate and shrugged. "It's fine, I don't mind." she said honestly, pouring herself a glass of water.   
  
"You won't be able to tame us as easily as you did Mammon, Viorella." Asmodeus assured her. "In fact, it's quite **offensive** of you to think that we're as stupid as that poor excuse of a demon."   
  
Asmodeus received a smack to the back of his head for this.   
  
Viorella looked up at a scowling Mammon over the rim of her glass. The white-haired demon looked even sulkier than usual this morning.   
  
Asmodeus placed a hand to his head and glared balefully at his older brother. "OW! Why'd you hit me?! I can't believe you actually STRUCK my beautiful, **beautiful** head! Not even **Lucifer** has done something like that! Why are you always getting so VIOLENT with me, Mammon?!"   
  
Mammon glared at him. "That was for callin' me a **poor excuse for a demon** , you peabrain! Actually, I oughta hit all of ya, the way you talk about me. Y'all think you're so great."  
  
Satan shook his head. "It's not that we think we're **so great.** "  
  
Asmodeus nodded in agreement. "No, not at all. We just think you're a complete and utter fool."   
  
"HEY, that's even worse! Don't treat me like I'm stupid!" Mammon sniffed.   
  
"Oh, I'm afraid that's one thing that's not going to change." Satan assured him.   
  
"Nope." Asmodeus chirped.   
  
"Mm, this right here is delicious, too..." Beelzebub murmured, having transferred his attention from demolishing Viorella's plate to attacking Mammon's.   
  
"Serves you right, Mammon! lololol." Levi added.   
  
"I hate every last one of you." Mammon groaned, sinking into his chair. "None of this would've happened to begin with if it weren't for that bastard **Lucifer**! It's all because he took my credit card away from me! Just snatched Goldie away--kidnapped her against her will!"  
  
Levi pulled a face. "Ugh, don't talk about your credit card like it's a person. It's gross."   
  
"Mmhm, it really is..." Asmodeus complained.   
  
"SHUT UP, both of ya!" Mammon growled over his toast. As he ate, he seemed to regain some semblance of his good humor. "Also, I can't believe that when he said he froze it, he meant that LITERALLY! Who sticks a credit card in the **freezer**?! What's up with that?!" he snickered. "Was it supposed to be some sorta dad joke?! 'Cause if so, it was awfully lame!"   
  
Viorella looked up as Lucifer strode soundlessly into the dining room and stopped behind Mammon's chair.   
  
Unaware of his peril, Mammon laughed aloud as he continued to voice his speculations. "Eh, I guess maybe I shoulda expected somethin' like that from him. I mean, he may not be a dad, but he's pretty old, isn't he? Guess I shouldn't be surprised he's a fan of dad jokes."   
  
Viorella covered her mouth with both hands.   
  
Lucifer smiled down at his younger brother with the promise of murder in his eyes.  
  
Mammon, blissfully ignorant, doubled over with laughter.   
  
Viorella gave Mammon an incredulous stare as his laughter subsided gradually. Holding his sides, he leaned back in his chair.   
  
"Man, I gotta stop laughin' so hard. My stomach is hurtin'!" Mammon snickered. "But you gotta agree, Lucifer is pretty old, isn't he?"  
  
Lucifer rested his arm across the back of Mammon's chair and smiled down at him. " **You think?** " he said.   
  
At the sound of Lucifer's voice, Mammon's eyes went wide. Slowly, he looked up at Lucifer's sadistically smiling face, inches from his own.  
  
"D'AAAAAAAH!"   
  
Viorella failed to catch the supernaturally fast movement, but there was a distinct sound of impact, and Mammon went flying out of his chair.   
  
Lucifer flicked some lint off his right glove as Mammon groaned in pain from his sprawl on the floor.  
  
"...Ow! Hey, what's the big idea?! You didn't have to hit me THAT hard!"  
  
Asmodeus chewed thoughtfully on his last piece of sliced fruit, regarding his fallen brother with something between pity and disdain on his face. "...You know, he's so stupid that it's almost sad."  
  
"Mmhm. I can't believe he's actually our brother. It's almost like we're being punished or something." Satan reflected.  
  
"Hey, I heard that!" Mammon scowled as he got up.  
  
Lucifer ignored his brothers and addressed Viorella from across the table. "I heard about what happened, Viorella. Apparently you outfoxed a certain dimwit of a demon, and forged a **pact** with him."   
  
"Who're you callin' a dimwit?!" Mammon fumed.   
  
Lucifer ignored him entirely. "Your opponent may have been stupid, but even so, you've only just arrived. It's a real accomplishment managing a feat like that in such a short span of time. Well done."  
  
Viorella stared at Lucifer, caught off-guard by the praise.   
  
Lucifer gave her a sidelong smile. "I imagine Diavolo will be pleased as well. We continue to expect big things from you."  
  
 _I'd better not be blushing right now._  
  
"...Hey, human!" Mammon snapped abruptly. "C'mon, time to get going."  
  
Viorella blinked at him.   
  
"Don't just sit there with your head in the clouds. It's time for class! So, let's go!" he demanded. He grabbed Viorella by the hand as soon as she rose from her chair and dragged her out the door.   
  
~  
  
Viorella did not appreciate being dragged downstairs by the hand like a child. And it was a full two hours before class time. She struggled in vain against Mammon's effortlessly iron grip.   
  
Mammon shot a withering glare in the direction of the dining room behind them, not seeming to notice her efforts to free her hand. "Seriously, what's with that guy? He can't go a single minute without bringin' up Diavolo. It's always Diavolo this, Diavolo that." he scowled. "If Diavolo told you to go jump off a cliff to your death, would ya do THAT too, Lucifer?! Huh?!" he yelled up the stairs. "...Ya know what? Knowin' him, he probably would."   
  
Viorella finally tore her hand free of his grasp. She danced four steps upwards out of his reach and glared at him.   
  
Mammon turned around and glared right back up at her. "Anyway, ever since you got here, human, it's been nothin' but one bad thing after another for me." he said testily. "So, let's get somethin' straight. I didn't make this pact 'cause I wanted to, and I ain't happy about it! Everything I did, I did for my credit card--for my baby Goldie!"   
  
Mammon advanced one step up, bringing himself eye-level with her. Angry blue eyes met defiant brown ones. "If you end up gettin' yourself eaten by some demon here at RAD, don't blame me, **'cause I don't give a damn**."   
  
Viorella clasped her upper arm and averted her gaze, scowling at the floor instead of at Mammon.   
  
"You got that?!" Mammon continued angrily. "Don't go thinkin' you're all great and stuff just 'cause you managed to make some stupid pact, human!"  
  
"Stop yelling at me! And would you at least call me by my name?!" Viorella fired at him, still refusing to look at him.   
  
"Shut your mouth! I'll call you what I damn well please!" Mammon snapped, disregarding both of her requests. "You don't deserve to have me call you by your real name, human!"  
  
Mammon advanced another step, and Viorella was forced to look up into his furious face. "You're nothin' but a lowly human! Don't think you can go givin' orders to ME! 'Cause I'll eat ya, I swear! Startin' from the head and workin' my way down! Is that what ya want?!"  
  
This was too much for Viorella. While his words alone didn't overly bother her, the fact that he was yelling at her overwhelmed her. She staggered backwards a few steps, enforcing distance in an attempt to slow her racing heart.   
  
"Eh? What's wrong? Am I **that** intimidating? Do I frighten you?" Mammon asked her. "Then listen..." he began walking towards her again, unaware that his every step was pushing Viorella into full panic mode. "If you stop talkin' back and just do what I tell ya, then things won't be so bad for--"  
  
"Stay away from me!" Viorella cried out.  
  
Mammon froze midstep. His eyes widened. "Wh-What's goin' on?! I-I can't move...!" his eyes locked onto Viorella's, his expression horrified. "Wh-What'd you do to me?! Is this some kind of magic?! Listen up, h...hu...huma..."  
  
Viorella bit her bottom lip in concern as something akin to pain passed over Mammon's face.   
  
"...Viorella," Mammon gasped out. "What the...dammit! Don't tell me this is all 'cause of the **pact**?!" he said furiously.   
  
Viorella approached him slowly as his face contorted, his body still frozen in place.   
  
Mammon glared at her. "Now you listen to me! You may control my body, but not my mind! I'm my own boss, and I always will be! Don't you ever forget that! Huma...Viorella...Viorella, my boss! No, Your Majesty, Viorella...!" the words were torn from him by something beyond his control.   
  
Viorella placed her hands on his arms, genuinely worried about him at this point. As she did so, something scarlet glinted on her left wrist. She lifted her hand to get a closer look.   
  
The circular red mark Mammon had drawn on her wrist with his blood the night before glistened like freshly spilled ink against her skin. This time, it was painless, and this time, she wasn't afraid of it.   
  
Viorella glanced from the mark to Mammon, then back to the mark. Understanding dawned on her.   
  
"Wh-Whatever you're doin', stop it now!" Mammon demanded, straining to move his unresponsive limbs.   
  
_Huh. I think not.  
_  
"Mammon," Viorella said evenly, brushing some lint off his shoulder. "I got about three hours of sleep last night. I'm used to getting ten. So, as you might deduce from that, I'm not feeling very patient or forgiving today."  
  
Mammon gave her a wary look.   
  
Viorella let go of him and primly clasped her hands behind her back. "Majolish. I heard someone talking about it at RAD yesterday. It's a clothing store, right?"  
  
"What? What does that got to do with anythin'?!" Mammon asked irritably.   
  
"Is it open this early?" Viorella inquired.   
  
"Yes." Mammon huffed.   
  
Viorella's face lit up. "Excellent. I think some shopping would lift my spirits immensely." she skipped past him down the staircase.   
  
Mammon's body released from her command like a puppet cut from its strings, and he almost toppled over. He growled in annoyance.   
  
Viorella threw him a winsome smile over her shoulder as she flounced down the stairs. "Mammon, come along now. And bring your precious Goldie too. I don't have any Devildom currency on me, so this shopping trip will have to be your treat."  
  
Mammon gave her a murderous look that promised bloody vengeance, which Viorella blithely ignored.  
  
~  
  
Ignoring the curious stares she drew from everyone in the store, Viorella wove her way through Majolish's ladies' shoe section, practically bouncing with excitement.   
  
"Mammon, look! I've always wanted heels like these! I'm not allowed to wear heels back in the human world because I work on a farm, and it would be impractical." Viorella gave Mammon an exaggerated pout. "But now that most of my work will be schoolwork, I can wear whatever I want!"  
  
Viorella picked up a pair of sleek black ankle-boots with four-inch heels and delicate silver buckles and shoved them into Mammon's face. "Aren't they pretty?!" she squealed.   
  
Mammon looked like would have loved to throw Viorella and her pretty ankle-boots out of the nearest window. He opened his mouth to say something rude, but Viorella had already deposited the boots in his arms and fluttered over to a display of winter jackets.   
  
"Excuse me, miss?" Viorella stopped a passing succubus who wore a Majolish employee badge on her blouse. "Where are the dressing rooms?"  
  
The succubus blinked at her repeatedly. After a few stunned seconds, she pointed to the east of the store.   
  
Viorella smiled her thanks at the succubus as she headed that way. "Keep up, Mammon!" she called absently.  
  
~  
  
Mammon sulked outside the dressing room as the infuriating human took her sweet time trying on what felt like a hundred or so outfits.   
  
Viorella made a low sound of dismay. "Mammon?" she called.   
  
Mammon sniffed. "What do you want now, Viorella?"   
  
"I forgot to grab the appropriate lingerie for this blouse. Be a darling and fetch a couple of bras for me?" Viorella called.   
  
Mammon stared incredulously at the wall that separated them. "What?" he demanded. She had to he joking.   
  
"Unpadded, black or white lace, 32C." Viorella ordered.   
  
Mammon blushed at the overload of information. "You're kiddin', right?" he said, without much hope of a positive answer.   
  
"Mammon. Do I sound like I'm kidding?" Viorella asked impatiently.   
  
Mammon stalked off to the lingerie section, swearing under his breath the whole way.  
  
~  
  
Viorella and Mammon arrived at RAD right on time at nine that morning, Viorella delighted with her newly acquired Devildom wardrobe that she had left at the House of Lamentation, Mammon mourning the considerable sum missing from his bank account after the morning's escapade.  
  
"Oh, stop sulking!" Viorella giggled, punching Mammon gently in the arm. She was clearly in a much better mood now, the little sadist. "I'll pay you back when I get a job here."  
  
"Wait, really?" Mammon asked suspiciously.   
  
Viorella nodded, all wide-eyed and innocent. "I promise."   
  
Mammon huffed and followed Viorella as she led the way to their first classroom. For someone who looked so sweet and dainty, she was an absolute nightmare, he decided.  
  
~  
  
"I haven't heard from Ella in two days." Rosette said slowly, her calm tone belied by the worry in her eyes. "It isn't like her to ignore my texts."  
  
"I wouldn't worry. Maybe she got upset at something and ran off?" Oriel suggested, sipping his cappuccino.   
  
Rosette bristled at his words. "Oriel. She doesn't do stuff like that anymore. And even if that were the case, it would make me more worried, not less."  
  
Oriel shrugged but didn't apologize.  
  
Oriel and Rosette sat in the warmth of the Chessa Farm Café, the rain-laden wind of the winter afternoon sending people hurrying to shelter past the window of their booth.   
  
A redheaded waitress made her way over to their booth with a bright smile of recognition. "Rosette! It's good to see you again." she greeted.  
  
Rosette glanced up, relief flooding her clear green eyes. "Laura! Just who I was hoping to see."  
  
Laura inclined her head. "How can I help?"  
  
"Have you seen Viorella recently?" Rosette asked hopefully.   
  
Laura thought for a moment, before shaking her head decidedly. "No. It's strange. She didn't come in to work yesterday. It's not like her." she reflected.   
  
Rosette's face clouded again.   
  
Even Oriel frowned at this revelation.   
  
Laura seemed to sense that something was amiss. She sat down next to Rosette and squeezed her shoulders in a supportive embrace. "I hope she'll check in with you soon." she said.  
  
Rosette nodded automatically, forcing a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I hope so too."


	6. The Most Sadistic Of Sadists

**"Prometheus-like from heaven she stole**

**The fire that through those silken lashes**

**In darkest glances seems to roll**

**From eyes that cannot hide their flashes." ~ Lord Byron, The Girl of Cadiz**

The high school students filed out of the school building and into the biting cold of a windy winter afternoon.   
  
One of the students, a boy with dark curly hair, stopped in his tracks and stared across the school yard.   
  
Leaning against a tree, a tall, stylishly dressed young woman with short, curly blond hair waited for him. She beckoned him with a movement of her head.   
  
The dark-haired boy approached her obediently.  
  
"I'm going to report your sister as a missing person." Rosette declared as soon as he stopped in front of her. Her green eyes flashed, challenging him.   
  
Oriel nodded slowly and slid his hands into his pockets. "Of course. Do you want me to go with you?"  
  
Rosette blinked at him in surprise. "You're not going to say I shouldn't worry or that Viorella is probably fine?" she blurted.   
  
Oriel's deep brown eyes widened a fraction. Then he sighed. "Rosette. I'm not heartless. I'm worried about Ella too. You know her better than I do. If you say she didn't run off, then I believe you."  
  
Rosette's shoulders slumped in relief. The chilled breeze cut through her, whipping her hair and coat to the side. She shoved her hands into her pockets. "In that case, would you accompany me to the police station?" she asked quietly.   
  
Oriel nodded his assent.   
  
~  
  
Viorella wove her way through the crowd to her classroom, well aware that almost every student she passed paused to stare at her. Used to it by now, she mostly ignored their curious, lingering gazes.  
  
As she shimmied past a cluster of students near the classroom doorway, she caught snatches of the demons' conversation.   
  
"Did you hear the news? Apparently that human forged a **pact** with Mammon."  
  
" **Seriously?** I don't get it. Why forge a pact with an ordinary human?"   
  
Viorella rolled her eyes and dropped her satchel onto her desk.   
  
"Huh. Whenever you make an important announcement, the demons here couldn't care less. But **rumors**...they really do spread like wildfire." someone said quietly.   
  
Viorella looked up, startled. A man, or a demon more likely, with dark emerald hair stood on the other side of her desk. His RAD uniform diverged slightly from the usual design. It was an elegant tailcoat complete with a cummerbund instead of a long, military-style coat with a belt, like her own.   
  
The green-haired demon shook his head in exasperation. "Just when I thought the uproar about the new exchange student from the human world had started to subside some, now they're all freaking out about this."  
  
The green-haired demon was accompanied by two familiar faces: Lord Diavolo and Lucifer.   
  
"Come now, don't say that, Barbatos." Lord Diavolo said with a good-natured smile. "Actually, I'd say that all this gossip is a good thing. It means that everyone will be watching this human, which makes it hard for any demon to go after Viorella's soul when no one is looking."   
  
"Yes. Since Mammon's not doing a very good job as a guardian." Lucifer agreed. He wore his signature expression of dissatisfaction. "I told him he was to look after Viorella, but he's off somewhere shirking his responsibilities. Though I figured this would happen."   
  
Viorella shook her head as she perched on the edge of her desk. "Don't worry about Mammon. I can take care of myself." she assured him.   
  
"I must say, I can't believe you managed to forge a pact with Mammon, Viorella. That's no small feat." Lord Diavolo observed. "And what's more, you did it in such a short time."   
  
"I suppose it stands as proof that you chose well bringing this human here, Lord Diavolo." the green-haired demon smiled.   
  
Viorella inclined her head to the green-haired demon. "Who are you?" she inquired.   
  
"...Ah yes, pardon me. I suppose we haven't met before, have we?" he turned to her, nodding pleasantly. "My name is Barbatos. I apologize for not introducing myself sooner. I have the honour of serving as steward to Lord Diavolo. Pleased to make your acquaintance."  
  
"Nice to meet you, too." Viorella replied.  
  
"Barbatos here is a smart and talented individual, so much so that I wish I could trade a certain idiot brother of mine for him instead." Lucifer told her.   
  
Barbatos did not visibly react to the compliment. "Well, as for your brother, in the human world, it is sometimes said that a truly wise man does not flaunt his talents. He keeps them secret."  
  
"Yes, but then again, an incompetent fool doesn't actually have any talents to begin with." Lucifer pointed out.   
  
Viorella hid her smile behind her hands.  
  
Lord Diavolo made no such attempt to hide his amusement. "Well, **I've** heard it said that the most thick-headed child is always the cutest." he chuckled.   
  
Lucifer looked mildly horrified. "...Stop it, Diavolo. It's troublesome enough having him as my younger brother. But my child? **Him?** I don't even want to think about it."  
  
"Ah, but I notice you didn't deny the part about him being cute, did you?" a new voice cut into the conversation.   
  
The small gathering around Viorella's desk increased by two as a tall, dark-haired man approached them with a young blond boy in tow.   
  
"If I might offer my own opinion, out of you seven brothers, **you're** without a doubt the most troublesome, Lucifer." the dark-haired stranger declared.   
  
Viorella studied him curiously. He didn't wear a RAD uniform, and instead was clothed in a fitted black sleeveless turtleneck and white trousers, draped with a cape coloured gold-and-white on the outside and shades of ombre blue-green on the underside, complimenting his exquisite turquoise eyes. His skin was a similar shade to her own. An affectionate smile softened his handsome features.   
  
It took Viorella a few moments to realize that in addition to being excessively good-looking by anyone's standards, the stranger was also radiant in the literal sense of the word, as was the blond boy hovering at his side.  
  
Lucifer turned towards the newcomer. "Is that meant as a compliment, Simeon?" he asked.   
  
The blond boy scoffed. "Pff, of course not! Duh! That was a put-down! An insult! He's taunting you!" he explained impatiently.   
  
"Ah, I see you've brought your **chihuahua** along with you." Lucifer noted, glancing at the boy without acknowledging his words.   
  
The boy's eyes flashed indignantly. "I am NOT a chihuahua! How many times do I have to tell you that, demon?!"   
  
"Well, what do you expect? I **am** a demon, after all." Lucifer chuckled. "Now then, stop yipping at me. C'mere boy...shake! Who's a good boy?"   
  
"Quit it! Don't you make fun of me! And don't tell me to **shake**! I'm **not** a dog!" the boy fired at him.   
  
Lord Diavolo turned to Viorella, who watched the exchange with politely concealed amusement. "Allow me to introduce you, Viorella." he said. He gestured to the dark-haired one. "This is Simeon. He's an exchange student from the Celestial Realm. Which is to say, he's an **angel**."   
  
"Well, hello, Viorella." Simeon chuckled. "I've heard a lot of rumours!"  
  
"And this is Luke." Lord Diavolo turned to the blond one. "Let's see, you're...a **chihuahua** , was it? Or are you an angel?"  
  
Luke's face turned beet-red. "Wh...! Diavolo, now YOU'RE getting in on the act, too?! I am NOT a chihuahua! I'm an angel!" he looked to Viorella. "Listen up! As you can probably tell, I'm a low-ranking angel. BUT I'll have you know that in the Celestial Realm I report directly to Michael the Archangel, as--"   
  
"Luke, calm down." Simeon interceded, placing a hand on Luke's shoulder. "You need to learn not to make such a huge fuss about everything."   
  
"But Simeon...!" Luke protested.   
  
"He's right. That's exactly why people call you a chihuahua, you know?" Lucifer added, clearly entertained.   
  
"Usually the only one who calls me chihuahua is YOU, Lucifer!" Luke snapped.   
  
"It's nearly time for the first bell to sound." Barbatos observed, skilfully bringing the veering conversation to a close.   
  
"Yes, you're right." Simeon nodded, brushing aside a wave of his ebony hair with a gloved hand. "I apologize for any trouble we've caused, Viorella."  
  
Lord Diavolo pushed away from where he leaned against Viorella's desk. "In any event, I'm relieved to see that things seem to be going well for you here." he told her.   
  
"Viorella, look after Mammon for me, would you?" Lucifer said as he took his place at Lord Diavolo's side.   
  
Viorella smiled. "Of course."   
  
Barbatos gave Lucifer a confused look. "As I remember it, Mammon was supposed to be the one looking after Viorella, correct?" he asked.   
  
"Yes, that's how I remember it as well. Your point?" Lucifer returned dryly.   
  
As Lucifer and Lord Diavolo headed off together to attend to their concerns, Barbatos and Simeon paired up and drifted away too.   
  
Viorella had her desk mostly to herself again. She turned towards the last remaining member of the company.   
  
Luke regarded her with china-blue eyes full of something akin to anger, though she got the sense it wasn't directed at her. He clenched his fists as he muttered something too muffled for her to hear.   
  
Viorella leaned down from her perch in an attempt to hear him better. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch what you said."   
  
Luke flushed. "Hey! Don't lean down toward me like an adult listening to a child! You don't need to come down to my level! I'm not a kid!"   
  
Viorella straightened up and bit her bottom lip. "Whoops. I'm sorry." she apologised.   
  
Luke shook his head briskly. "...Never trust a demon." he declared. "Especially when that demon is **Lucifer.** "  
  
Viorella frowned, but didn't answer him.   
  
"Listen to me." Luke continued urgently. "He's a monster and a brute. He's uncivilized, immoral, and...and also..."  
  
"And also a sadist?" Viorella guessed.   
  
"Yes, exactly!" Luke nodded emphatically. "He's the most sadistic of sadists!"  
  
Viorella's gaze drifted towards the black-haired demon in question. He conversed with Lord Diavolo as the two of them turned the corner out of sight.   
  
_Maybe, but..._  
  
"...I was against this from the beginning." Luke muttered. "What are they thinking, bringing humans to the Devildom as exchange students..."  
  
Viorella jumped as the first bell sounded.   
  
"So, you've been warned. You get what I'm saying, right?" Luke asked her as she slipped from her desktop to her seat.   
  
"I understand." Viorella said quietly. "I'll be careful."  
  
Luke nodded, satisfied. "Okay."  
  
~  
  
Viorella stared at her bedroom ceiling in the dark, her blankets gathered and twisted around her torso from so much tossing and turning.   
  
An unwanted and unaccountable excess of energy kept her awake.   
  
Her mind flitted through a variety of subjects, from Rosette, to RAD schoolwork, to the morning's conversation--specifically, what Luke had said to her.   
  
The blue-eyed angel's words of warning echoed in her head.   
  
Sleep continued to evade her.   
  
The silence of the house was comforting, at least.   
  
Until the blanket of silence gave way to a low reverberation. An indistinct humming sound, somewhere above her.   
  
Viorella frowned and propped herself up on one elbow, hoping the sound would repeat itself.   
  
It did.   
  
Viorella sat bolt upright. _  
  
"Help... Someone help me..." _without a shadow of a doubt, it was a voice. Distant but distinct words.   
  
Viorella placed a hand on the wall. She bit her bottom lip, thinking fast. "Above me..." she murmured.   
  
Getting out of bed, Viorella wrapped herself in one of her newly purchased satin robes, and left her bedroom.   
  
~  
  
The room above hers was small, and cold. Viorella's bare feet tread icy stone.   
  
The room contained one thing: a winding staircase, its ornate balustrade glittering in the moonlight.   
  
_"Help..."_ the voice was definitely louder here.  
  
_"...Over here!"_ it urged her.   
  
Viorella mounted the first step.   
  
"Viorella."  
  
Viorella froze. This was not the distant voice calling to her. This voice was directly behind her, clear and stern and familiar.   
  
"Stop right there. You'll go no farther...that's not a place for humans. It's dangerous." an iron-firm hand encased in the softest gloves seized her by the wrist.   
  
Lucifer pulled her to face him, maneuvering them so that he stood between her and the staircase. His expression was cold and disapproving. "Go back to your room." he ordered.   
  
Viorella glared at him. "No." she said decidedly.   
  
Lucifer's eyebrows lowered dangerously.   
  
Viorella braced herself to be either yelled at or eaten.   
  
Lucifer started laughing.   
  
"What's so funny?" Viorella demanded.   
  
"Interesting. I think I'm beginning to understand why **you** were chosen to come here." Lucifer said with obvious amusement.   
  
Viorella continued to regard him warily, unsure how to respond to that.   
  
"But you can't say **no**.Because I'm not giving you a choice." Lucifer explained, smiling. The smile felt more menacing than any scowl he could have mustered.   
  
Viorella clasped her arm and stared at the staircase behind him.   
  
"...Now then, back to your room." Lucifer's chilling smile fell, and he placed a hand on Viorella's elbow, steering her from the room. "If you value your life, you'll do as I say."  
  
Viorella helplessly allowed herself to be guided to her room. As Lucifer escorted her, she looked up at his utterly impassive face. All cold, hard, flawless features and guarded eyes.   
  
It brought Luke's words of warning to the forefront of her mind.   
  
_Never trust a demon. Especially when that demon is Lucifer._  
  
~  
  
Viorella regarded herself as fairly adjusted to life in the Devildom by now. Her unease and anxiety about her predicament faded, allowing her eating habits to improve, despite the treacherous cuisine.   
  
She found herself adapting to shadow hog meat and Quetzalcoatl brains, even to poison apples and the ridiculously strong coffee that Satan and Lucifer favoured.  
  
Her sleeping habits, on the other hand, was another story altogether.   
  
She couldn't stop thinking about the staircase, and the voice that had guided her to it. It was easy to keep her mind off it during the day, when schoolwork and tasks commandeered her attention, but when she was alone at night, it consumed her thoughts.   
  
It didn't take her long to make a second attempt at climbing the stairs.   
  
Her bare feet made no sound, and her robe was tightly wrapped around her as she stealthily made her way through the house.   
  
She found the staircase room just as cold and deserted as it had been the first time she'd discovered it.   
  
_Surely this time..._  
  
"What's going on, Viorella? Out for a stroll?" Lucifer asked conversationally from behind her.   
  
Viorella turned to face him, more irritated than startled this time. "Lucifer." she greeted pleasantly.   
  
"I keep running into you here, don't I?" Lucifer went on. "It seems you are really curious about what's at the top of this staircase." he frowned. "Unless I'm mistaken, I believe I told you that it's not a place humans have any business going."  
  
"I don't remember you telling me anything of the sort." Viorella began, which earned her a look of warning. She backpedalled quickly. "But maybe sleep deprivation is making me forgetful."  
  
"If you can't sleep, perhaps I should make you some tea? Something that will help you have a good night's sleep." Lucifer offered.   
  
_Ha. Big nope right there._  
  
"You should probably know that it's a bit **too** effective on humans, to the point that you may find that you **never wake up again.** " Lucifer threatened airily. "You get what I'm saying here, right?"  
  
Viorella sighed.   
  
"Go back to your room." Lucifer ordered. "Good night, Viorella."  
  
Viorella obeyed without protest, this time.   
  
But she now knew what she needed to do.   
  
~  
  
"Why do I gotta be stuck here with you first thing in the morning having to look at your face while I'm tryin' to eat my breakfast." Mammon complained.   
  
Viorella glared at him over her coffee. "What do you mean by that exactly, Mammon?" she asked testily.   
  
Mammon didn't seem to register the threat in her tone. "To us demons, eating a human like you is a special sorta treat, understand?" he explained. "Yet I'm not allowed to do that. I've gotta sit here and eat my breakfast instead. I mean, it's like havin' a premium-grade roast Iriomote musk hog right in front of me. Medium rare, cooked to perfection. But I can't have it. Instead, I'm sitting here eatin' dried blackbelly newt legs. I mean, I'm not sayin' blackbelly newt legs are bad. I actually like 'em, but still."  
  
"Mammon darling." Viorella interrupted. "Did you just compare me to a **roast hog?** "  
  
"And what's even worse is that thick, juicy hunk of meat has started giving me orders now, like it's the boss of me or somethin'." Mammon continued to whine. "It's REALLY not fun. I mean, what sick kind of torture is this, anyway?!"  
  
Viorella glanced around the table. It was deserted except for her and Mammon, fact she'd been too preoccupied to notice until now. "Where's Asmodeus?" she asked.   
  
"Asmodeus? How should I know? He was probably up all night, knowin' him. He's a real playboy, that one." Mammon sniffed.   
  
Upon noticing that Viorella had started staring into space again, Mammon threw a piece of cereal past her head. "Hey, pay attention when I'm talkin' to ya, dunce! Or do those ears of yours not work?!"   
  
Viorella gave him an exasperated look.   
  
"Anyway," Mammon resumed. "I'm sure the others have already scurried off to class and left me to look after ya on my own, the punks. Dammit. They're all rotten, every last one of 'em. This all comes back to Lucifer!" Mammon decided bitterly. "Getting stuck having to look after a human, ending up in a pact, everything bad is his fault! The way Levi's haircut is so lame, and Satan's horns are so stupid-lookin', and Lucifer's feet are so putrid, all of it is Lucifer's fault! ...Not that I've ever actually smelled his feet, but still!"  
  
Viorella, who had begun fading out the sound of Mammon's voice halfway through his speech, had by now decided upon asking him the question that was plaguing her.   
  
"What's at the top of the stairs? In the room above mine?"  
  
"HEY, I TOLD you to LISTEN to me when I'm TALKIN' to you! I was tryin' to tell you about Lucifer's fe--" Mammon broke off as he registered what she'd just said. "...Wait, what stairs? Are you talkin' about the stairs that lead up into the attic?"   
  
When Viorella nodded in affirmative, he groaned. "Oh man, there you go again, stickin' your nose where it doesn't belong..."  
  
Viorella leaned her chin against her hand and looked at him expectantly.   
  
Mammon scowled. "Now listen, do you know the secret to getting people to tell you stuff? Go ahead, tell me."  
  
"That's easy. Bribery." Viorella said matter-of-factly.   
  
"EXACTLY! Now THAT'S what I'm talking about! I guess you DO get it!" Mammon said approvingly. "If ya wanna pry valuable information outta someone, you gotta offer 'em proper compensation!" he paused as something occurred to him. "Wait a second... Uh-oh, I know what this is about! You tried to climb those stairs, but **Lucifer** stopped you, right? That's totally it, isn't it?"   
  
"Yes." Viorella confirmed, still irritated by the fact. "What's that got to do with it?"   
  
"There's something you really need get straight now." Mammon said. "If you think you can just offer Mammon here a little bit of money and he'll spill the beans, you're dead wrong."  
  
"Why not?" Viorella demanded.   
  
"I mean, pretend I told you somethin' I shouldn't. Lucifer would beat me half to death." Mammon shuddered. "Actually, I'd be lucky if that's all he did. If I WEREN'T lucky, he'd have me eliminated. It'd take a good two hundred million years to recover from that."   
  
Mammon examined Viorella's dissatisfied face for a few moments, before venturing, "Still, if you're bound and determined to buy this information off of me... Then you'll have to offer me, let's see... How about the monetary equivalent of the world's total oil production? Two hundred million years' worth. That might do it. In other words, **I ain't gonna tell ya**. Is that clear enough for ya, blockhead?"  
  
Viorella took a deep breath. After exhaling slowly, an evil smile spread over her face. "Huh. Afraid of Lucifer, are you?" she jabbed.   
  
That did it.   
  
"WHAT?!" Mammon roared. He quickly lowered his voice as he recalled Viorella's previous reaction to yelling. "Whoa, what'd you just say? You think I'M actually afraid of Lucifer?! Me, the Avatar of Greed? You've gotta be kidding! I'm not the least bit afraid of him, got it? Not even a little!"  
  
"Mammon darling." Viorella reiterated in a soothing, maternal tone. "There now, you can be honest with me. You're scared of him, aren't you? My poor Mammon."  
  
"I told you, I'm not!" Mammon protested furiously. "I mean, that's crazy! Listen now, most of the time, I don't let people see the full extent of my power! What I'm sayin' is that even if I did face off against someone like Lucifer, I wouldn't even have to use all of my strength to win! Understand?!"   
  
"Then tell me what's up those stairs." Viorella challenged.   
  
"All right, fine! I will!" Mammon huffed. "You can't get up those stairs because Lucifer's blocking the way, right?! You need to do somethin' to get rid of him, right?!"  
  
Viorella leaned forward. "Well?" she prodded.  
  
"Well, guess what? Distracting Lucifer is easy as pie!" Mammon declared. "Listen up, 'cause I'm only gonna say this **once** , so, clean the wax outta your ears for a change and pay attention! You know that series Levi likes? What was it called, um... _The Tale of the Seven... Seven..._ " Mammon's last two braincells bounced around his head like a Windows screensaver. " _Seven Ways to Get Rich Quick..._ wait, no. That's the book I was readin' the other day."   
  
"The Tale of the Seven Lords." Viorella reminded him.   
  
"Right, yeah. That's the one." Mammon nodded. "Anyway, you need to get your hands on a vinyl edition copy of the soundtrack for that Tale of the Seven whatsawhosit. If you have that, you can use it to distract Lucifer no problem!"   
  
Viorella tucked a wandering curl behind her ear. "So, Lucifer likes music? Why the TSL soundtrack, though?"   
  
Mammon shrugged. "Don't ask why, 'cause I've got no idea why Lucifer's interested in somethin' like that either. But if you wanna climb those stairs, you're gonna have to start by gettin' your hands on that soundtrack."   
  
Viorella rose from her chair and dusted toast crumbs off her hands. "Right. Come on, don't just sit there. We've got work to do." she told him.   
  
"Wha? I don't understand. Why should I help you?" Mammon demanded. "If ya want that soundtrack, then go find Levi and work it out with him yourself, dummy."   
  
Mammon hastily got to his feet as Viorella's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Welp, time for me to go. As much as I hate goin' to class, I don't have much of a--"   
  
"Mammon...come!" Viorella ordered. Her left wrist glowed crimson as she made a beckoning movement with her hand.   
  
Mammon jerked towards her. His eyes widened. "HEY! Wh-What's goin' on?! Dammit, my body...it's movin' on its own!"  
  
Viorella made a tugging motion with both hands.   
  
Mammon growled as he staggered forward. "F-Fine, all right! I'll go with you, okay?! It feels like you've got some kinda invisible cord tied around my neck." he gasped as Viorella flounced out of the dining room ahead of him, making him jog to keep up. "...Aaah, stop pullin' on it! ... I said **stooooooop**!"   
  
~  
  
"D'AAAH! Quit pullin' on me! Gr...dammit, lemme go!" Mammon snarled as Viorella dragged him down the hallway to Levi's room. "Let...me...go...this...instaAAAH...!"  
  
Viorella let go of him.   
  
"D'ah...!" Mammon yelped as the sudden release sent him flying headfirst into the wall.   
  
".... Ow...! Hey, what the hell?! Ya coulda at least given me a little warning before lettin' go! I hit my head just now, ya know?!" Mammon said indignantly.   
  
"Good, then you didn't damage anything vital." Viorella said dismissively, flipping her thick hair over her shoulders.   
  
Mammon scowled. "I can't believe you decided to go straight to Levi and ask him for the soundtrack... You really don't have any patience, do ya?!" he laboured to his feet. "First of all, there's no way Levi's just gonna agree to lend you his Tale of whatever-it-was vinyl soundtrack. Actually, he ain't even gonna let you inside his room. I'm sure of it! Don't go thinkin' that everything is gonna go your way 'cause ya want it to! You know what your problem is? I'll tell you--"  
  
"Mammon, you jackass..."   
  
It wasn't Viorella who uttered the insult.   
  
"What...?! Who said that?!" Mammon demanded. "I'm not a jackass, or an idiot or a scumbag or a money-obsessed moron! ...Which you didn't actually call me, but still!" he paused. "...Hold on, I recognize that voice. So, where ARE you, anyway?"  
  
"You're making way too much noise, Mammon." the familiar voice chided. "Would you do me a favour, and NOT stand outside my door being loud? I'm in the middle of watching the best scene of _The Magical Ruri Hana: Demon Girl._ "  
  
"Levi, we need to talk to you. Get off your ass and come to the door!" Mammon called impatiently through the door.   
  
"No." Levi answered flatly.   
  
Mammon whirled on Viorella. "See? See? What'd I tell ya? He won't even open the damn door for us."  
  
Viorella bit her bottom lip, thinking.   
  
"Don't just stand there, Viorella. Try sayin' somethin' to him." Mammon prodded.   
  
"Leeeviii, I need to borrow your TSL soundtrack!" Viorella called.  
  
"No." Levi said in the same tone as before.   
  
"Ugh, come on... That was **awful**." Mammon said oh-so-helpfully. "You're not supposed to tell him why we're here. He's not the kind of guy that does favours if you ask him."  
  
Viorella huffed in annoyance.   
  
"Hey, I was wondering who that was out here in the hall. So, it's the pair everyone is talking about..." observed a new voice.   
  
Viorella turned to see Solomon, her silver-haired fellow human exchange student.   
  
"...Wha? Oh, Solomon, it's you." Mammon greeted with a nod. "What do ya mean by that?"   
  
"I'm referring to the rumour regarding a certain human by the name of Viorella." Solomon explained. "A human who looks very ordinary at first glance, but has already managed to make a pact with a demon, despite having only just gotten here." he chuckled. "Apparently this demon must be a real idiot, because he let a human discover and exploit his greatest weakness, and was then tricked into forging a pact."  
  
Mammon burst out laughing. "What demon is that? He must be a total numbskull! Ha, what an idiot!"  
  
Viorella facepalmed.   
  
Mammon gave her a confused look before he finally caught on. "...Wait, you're talkin' about ME!" he said indignantly.   
  
"An astute deduction, sweetheart." Viorella commended.   
  
"Anyway, what're **you** even doin' here, Solomon?" Mammon asked.   
  
"I'm here because Levi invited me." Solomon answered.   
  
"Wha?" Mammon asked, nonplussed. "Levi invited YOU? To his room? No way, I don't buy it."  
  
"I'm afraid it's the truth." Solomon smiled as he made his way to Levi's door. He knocked lightly. "Levi? It's me."  
  
"What's the secret phrase?" Levi asked from the other side of the door.   
  
""The second lord..."" Solomon recited.  
  
"" ...attempted to steal the Lord of Corruption's platypus, which could lay golden eggs..."" Levi interjected.   
  
""...having incurred the wrath of the Lord of Corruption for this misdeed..."" Solomon continued.   
  
""...it was ordered that the second lord be forever dubbed The Lord of Fools." Secret phrase authenticated. You may enter." Levi finished, opening the door.   
  
Solomon smiled at Mammon and Viorella as he passed them. "Well, I guess I'll see you two later. Bye."   
  
Mammon stared at the door as it closed behind Solomon. "What were they even talking about just now...?" he blinked. "Wait a minute... That was the secret phrase! They gave it away, didn't they?!"  
  
Mammon turned to face Viorella. "Excellent. All right, try saying what Solomon did." he ordered.   
  
Viorella heaved a sigh, but obediently knocked on the door.   
  
"What's the secret phrase?" Levi called.   
  
""The second lord..."" Viorella started.   
  
Levi instantly emitted a buzz of rejection. "Secret phrase authentication failure. Access denied."  
  
Mammon threw up his hands. "Wha? Wait, that was totally right! It's exactly what Solomon said!"  
  
"The secret phrase is periodically reset." Levi informed them.   
  
"You're saying it's a one-time password? Seriously?!" Mammon complained.   
  
"Maybe you should come back after you've at least watched TSL on DVD." Levi suggested haughtily.   
  
"Ugh, come on! What the hell, Levi?!" Mammon growled at the closed door.  
  
Mammon turned back to Viorella, his brow furrowed not in frustration this time, but in determination. "...I don't understand exactly what's goin' on here, but from what I can gather..." he said slowly. "...basically, Solomon just proved to Levi that he's a total TSL nerd too, so now they're buddies. Which means that if you wanna borrow that soundtrack from Levi..."  
  
Viorella filled her cheeks with air and exhaled slowly, all too aware of where this was going.   
  
"...then you're gonna have to do what Solomon did, and become a TSL nerd yourself. It's that or nothing!" Mammon declared.   
  
_Oh, boy._


	7. Che Assurdità Questa Città

**"Qui c'è il buio fuori di me**

** Ed anche un po' dentro di me **

** Che assurdità questa città." ~ Josh Groban, Alla Luce Del Sole  **

Viorella nudged her bedroom door closed behind her with her foot, her hands being currently occupied by a bowl of cinnamon popcorn the size of a kitchen sink.   
  
Mammon looked up from where he had just finished setting up the computer for their movie marathon. "So, explain somethin' to me." he said to her. "Why do I gotta join you for this TSL Full Series DVD marathon night you're doin'?!"  
  
Viorella smiled sweetly at him as she made her way over to her bed. "Because I invited you to join me like the thoughtful, sharing person that I am." she answered.   
  
"And you say it's 12 hours total?! What's up with that?! We'll be up all damn night!" Mammon pointed out incredulously.   
  
"Yeah, and it's almost midterms. You must have a lot of free time, Mammon." Beel observed.   
  
"No, I DON'T!" Mammon scowled. "...Anyway, you're one to talk! What about you, Beel?! You're here too!"  
  
"I'm here for the popcorn." Beel said happily as Viorella set the oversized bowl down next to him.   
  
"You're tellin' me you're just here for the food, beggin' the human for treats like some kind of dog?!" Mammon demanded.   
  
"All I know is that once we start watching, I get to start eating." Beel said. "So, hurry it up!"  
  
Viorella hit play and settled herself on her bed. Mammon and Beel settled themselves on the pillow-covered floor in front of her bed.   
  
Beel leaned back into the side of the bed and began inhaling the popcorn immediately, while Mammon continued to whine under his breath.   
  
"Ugh, this is so stupid that it's...it's unreal. Why am I stuck watching this too...?"   
  
"Shhh!" Viorella hissed at Mammon without taking her eyes off the movie.   
  
Mammon receded into a sulky silence.  
  
_~ Three hours later: DVD Volume 2 ~_  
  
The narrator's voice filled the room as Viorella watched, riveted. She hugged a pillow to her chest for comfort.   
  
"Though they represent two different species, the protagonist Henry and the Lord of Shadow bridge such differences to form a pact. Working together, they set a trap for the Lord of Fools, who falls victim to it." the narrator illuminated. "The Lord of Fools is then driven off, chased up into the snowy northern country. It's there in the cold, barren wastes that he discovers the frozen body of his former sweetheart, Geldie. He once loved her, before they parted..."   
  
This was too much for Mammon. "Wh...seriously?! He's finally reunited with her, only to find that she's dead?! No...that can't be! Can't he, like, use some magic or somethin' to bring her back to life...?!" he demanded. "Don't you dare die, Geldie! It can't end like this, it just can't...!"  
  
Viorella crushed the pillow she held even closer against her chest, trying not to let her own emotions show. Though, in comparison to Mammon, she was probably taking the tragic plot twist quite well.   
  
"He's gonna find a way to save Geldie, right?!" Mammon said desperately. "What do you think? Please...please say he saves her...!"  
  
"If you want to know what happens, you'll have to keep watching." Beel pointed out.   
  
_~ Six hours later: DVD Volume 5 ~_  
  
"The Lord of Flies faces a crises after his country is invaded by hostile forces from another land. The opposing army isolates them, cutting off supply lines so they will starve." the narrator informed them. "Hoping to aid his brother, the Lord of Fools arranges for food supplies to be smuggled in. However, a long spell of wet, rainy weather causes all of the food he has sent to spoil. As a result, the Lord of Flies' land is beset by an outbreak of disease, on top of the famine they already face..."  
  
Mammon was outright sobbing at this point. "Don't blame the Lord of Fools...!" he implored the fictional characters tearfully. "He was worried about the Lord of Flies and wanted to help... That's all!"   
  
Viorella discreetly swiped away her own tears with the back of her hand. She had positioned herself behind Beel and Mammon for this precise reason.   
  
"I can't believe the food ended up spoiling... It's not fair." Mammon sniffled. "He was bein' so helpful, and he meant well... So, why...WHY...?" he dissolved into noisy sobs.   
  
Beel gave him a disgusted look and moved the recently refilled bowl of cinnamon popcorn away from him. "Mammon, stop crying. Your nose is running, you know."   
  
"Come on, how can I NOT cry watchin' this, huh?!" Mammon sobbed.   
  
Becoming increasingly concerned about him, Viorella slipped down from the bed to hold him through the worst of it.   
  
"It's all so saaaaaaaad...!" Mammon wailed, burying his face in Viorella's shoulder.  
  
Viorella rubbed his back in soothing circles, a method she'd often employed to calm her younger brothers when they cried. She found it vaguely amusing that it seemed to work just as well on Mammon, who stopped crying after a few minutes.  
  
_~ 11 hours later: DVD Volume 7 ~_  
  
"In the year 825 of the ancient era, the Lord of Emptiness leads a sudden rebellion against his eldest brother, the Lord of Corruption." the narrator summarised. "Unwilling to forgive his betrayal, the Lord of Corruption imprisons him within the Tower of Shadow in the farthest corner of the world. The other lords lament the fate that has befallen their youngest brother, but there is nothing they can do. For they fear incurring the wrath of the Lord of Corruption above all else..."  
  
"Seriously, what's wrong with them?" Mammon demanded, as usual, unable to keep his thoughts from coming straight out of this mouth. "They're brothers, aren't they? Couldn't one of them have done something to stop it from coming to this?"  
  
Viorella, who now sat on the floor between the two brothers, shook her head slightly. "In their defense, the Lord of Emptiness seems rather unpredictable. They couldn't have known what he was going to do, could they?"   
  
"I mean, sure, maybe the Lord of Emptiness himself deserves some of the blame, too." Mammon conceded. "But even so, I can't believe they'd abandon their brother like that..."  
  
Beel offered no comment, and when Viorella glanced over at him, the expression on his face was halfway between angry and pained.   
  
~  
  
Viorella had always hated mornings, but this particular morning after the sleepless night of the movie marathon found her behaviourally indistinguishable from a corpse. She sat on the stairs in the entrance hall and glared at Mammon through her fingers as he gave her a pep talk, as if he was her coach or something.   
  
"Okay, so let's go over this one more time. You want to get into the attic at the top of the stairs. But Lucifer's standing in your way." Mammon summarised, leaning against the balustrade next to her. "So, you've got to do something about him. Which is why ya need the cursed vinyl edition of _The Tale of the Seven Lords_ soundtrack."  
  
"Ugh." Viorella grunted.   
  
"I mean, I don't understand why Lucifer cares so much about somethin' like that either, but whatever." Mammon said. "The point is that Levi's got the soundtrack, and ya need to borrow it from him. And the only way to do that is to get him to like you by becoming a big TSL nerd just like him."  
  
"I _know_ , Mammon." Viorella interrupted irritably. "That's _why_ we were up all last night watching a marathon session of every TSL DVD."   
  
"Now it's time for a review." Mammon proclaimed. "I'll quiz you to see just how well you understand it. We'll start with TSL DVD Volume 2."  
  
"Uh-huh." Viorella said with absolutely no enthusiasm.   
  
"After falling into a trap set by Henry and the Lord of Shadow, the Lord of Fools is forced to flee to the north. When he gets there, he find his former sweetheart's body frozen in ice." Mammon recounted. "What's her name?"  
  
"Geldie." Viorella answered confidently.   
  
"Correct." Mammon said. "Eh, though anyone could've gotten that right, easy as it was. All right, let's hit DVD Volume 5 next. Hostile forces from another land invade the Lord of Flies' country, surrounding and isolating him so his people will starve. So, the Lord of Fools tries to help his brother. The Lord of Fools means well, but his efforts backfire. As a result, the Lord of Flies ends up in an even worse situation The reason for this has to do with the supply of food that the Lord of Fools sends. Tell me what the problem was."  
  
"The food had spoiled." Viorella recalled, sitting up slightly straighter.   
  
"Right. The Lord of Fools really did mean well, but a long rainy spell caused the food he sent to spoil." Mammon confirmed. His face fell. "Ugh... Every single time I think about it, it makes me wanna cry..."   
  
"Please don't." Viorella said softly.   
  
"All right, time to move on. Next up is DVD Volume 7." Mammon said, briefly consulting his D.D.D.. "The Lord of Corruption imprisons the Lord of Emptiness in the Tower of Shadow, refusing to forgive his brother for leading a rebellion against him. The other lords lament the fate of their youngest brother, but there's nothing they can do to help him. Why is that?"  
  
"They're afraid of the Lord of Corruption." Viorella replied at once.   
  
"Great. Looks like you can do this when ya really put your mind to it. You may seem like an airhead, but I've gotta admit, you did pretty well." Mammon told her with a satisfied smile.   
  
"Gee, thanks." Viorella said.   
  
"I'd say you should be able to convince Levi that ya know your stuff at this point." Mammon said with a nod of approval.   
  
"...Hey, human."  
  
Viorella whipped her head around to see Levi himself standing on the stairs above her. A sour look graced his face.   
  
"Ah, well speak of the devil..." Mammon said.  
  
"I heard what you're up to, human." Levi sniffed. "Seems that you're trying to suck up to me so I'll like you."  
  
"Whaddya mean? Who told you that?" Mammon asked, trying to sound innocent.   
  
Levi shook his pretty purple head. "It's no use playing dumb. I heard it from Lucifer."  
  
" **Lucifer?** How the hell does he end up hearing **every** single that gets said around here?" Mammon demanded.   
  
"That's not important." Levi said coldly. "You know, I've heard it said that the time a fool spends thinking is WASTED time. I think that applies here. You're lucky to have so much time on your hands that you can sit on around thinking up schemes like this." he scowled darkly. "There's so much anime I need to watch, so many figurines and trading cards I need to organize, so many games I need to play just sitting there piled up... As much as I wish I could watch a marathon of every TSL DVD, I don't have the time..."  
  
Viorella squirmed as Levi gave her a withering, envious glare.   
  
"So, why do YOU get to have so much free time?" Levi demanded. " **It's so not fair.** "  
  
"Ah! I was waiting for him to say that." Mammon remarked. In response to Viorella's questioning glance, he clarified, "Levi's signature line: "It's so not fair.""  
  
"Shut up, Mammon. You're an idiot." Levi said dismissively.   
  
Mammon bristled. "You know, Levi, you need to start showin' your older brother some more respect!"   
  
Levi ignored him and addressed Viorella instead. "Anyway, I don't know what it is you're plotting, but I'm not about to get all buddy-buddy with some human **normie**. Understand? I'm not like Mammon. Get that through your head."   
  
"Hey! It's not like I'm buddy-buddy with this human, either!" Mammon protested. "My body obeys the orders on its own, whether I like it or not. Like when I'm told "stay" or "go home" and stuff. It's not my fault!"   
  
"Don't go getting any ideas in your head, human." Levi continued irritably.   
  
"Hey! Don't just ignore me!" Mammon snapped.  
  
Viorella was not entirely sure what possessed her in that moment, but the next words out of her mouth were, "Levi. Let's compete to see who the bigger TSL fan is."   
  
"...What? Where did that come from?" Levi asked, staring at her as if she was speaking a foreign language. He shook his head. "Do you **seriously** think you could beat me in a competition involving TSL? That's hilarious! lololol. As if I'd actually accept a challenge like that. I mean, I already know what the outcome would be."  
  
Viorella stood up and folded her arms across her chest. "Afraid of losing?"  
  
" **Excuse me?** " Levi said as if she'd insulted him. "Did you process anything I just said? Where are you getting this idea that I might actually lose to you?"   
  
"I knew it. You ARE afraid, then?" Viorella smiled, tilting her head sideways.   
  
_Might as well push aaalll of his buttons._  
  
"Excuse me? **EXCUSE ME?!** Are you processing ANYTHING I'm saying here?!" Levi demanded.   
  
"Levi's a chicken!" Viorella declared.  
  
"Hey! Watch what you say, human!" Levi hissed warningly.   
  
"Levi's an otaku!" Viorella went on, cranking up her annoying meter and dancing in place for good measure.   
  
"Well, yeah, can't argue with ya there." Mammon agreed.   
  
Viorella danced around Levi, who watched her with a simmering mixture of disdain, astonishment, and growing anger. "Levi's a..."  
  
"...Fine." Levi cut her off disgustedly. "If that's what you want, I'll do it. I accept your challenge. We'll compete to see which one of us loves TSL more, you or me."   
  
_Well, that worked._  
  
"Just one thing, though." Levi added. "If you lose, you might never make it back to the human world **alive**."   
  
Viorella rolled her eyes. "Uh-huh. I know the drill by now, darling."   
  
"But you **still** want to do this, right? Okay." Levi said with a confident smirk.   
  
~  
  
Viorella waltzed into RAD with her sleep deprived state skilfully concealed by her smokey eyeshadow and her impeccably buttoned uniform. Spotting Satan and Beel on the staircase near her classroom, she headed over to them.   
  
"Hello there, Viorella." Satan greeted as Viorella arrived on the upper landing of the staircase. "I heard about what's happening. It seems that you and Levi are going to have a little competition."  
  
Viorella blinked at him, taken aback by how quickly the news had travelled. Before she could regain her fractured composure, Beel said something that shattered it altogether.   
  
"...Are you hoping to find out what's in the attic room? Is that it?" Beel asked, his dark violet eyes studying her face as if searching for something.   
  
Viorella, caught off-guard, and seeing no reason to lie, answered honestly. "I am, yes."  
  
"Huh. You don't say..." Beel murmured, his expression unreadable. After a beat of silence, he spoke again. "I'll let you in on a nice piece of information. Levi is the demon of **envy**. If you can work him into a jealous frenzy, he'll lose control of himself. Then he'll be guaranteed to slip up somehow, giving you an opening you can exploit. Just one thing, though. If Levi does lose control of himself, your life will also be in danger."   
  
Viorella bit her bottom lip as she absorbed the information. "Why did you decide to tell me that?" she asked.   
  
Beel looked away with a shrug. "No reason. Just felt like it, that's all."  
  
Viorella shifted her weight onto her right leg and glanced at Satan, who was watching the exchange with an expression just as unreadable as Beel's. When he found her watching him, he seemed to come to a decision.  
  
"I'll give you a piece of advice, too." Satan said. "The DVD version of TSL is up to season 7 now. That's the most recent release. Meanwhile, the original book version is up to volume 8 at this point. Volume 9 of the book isn't out yet. But if you want to know what's going to happen in it, you should ask Simeon."   
  
"Simeon?" Viorella repeated. "Why would he know something like that?"  
  
"Don't ask me... Ask him." Satan answered cryptically. "Also, it just so happens that it's **in my best interest** for you to beat Levi."   
  
Viorella frowned, considering the information she had just acquired. Satan and Beel had already headed off towards their classrooms, so she followed suit, more than a little confused.  
  
~  
  
"So, let me get this straight..." Mammon said slowly, pacing the empty classroom as he mulled over what Viorella had just told him. "You're tellin' me that Beel and Satan **both** gave you hints for how to defeat Levi? Ya don't say... How VERY interesting..."  
  
"I still don't understand why they'd help me." Viorella said, draping her entire torso across her desk. "You explain it to me."  
  
"Okay, here's the deal. Those two are givin' **you** special treatment because they know that **I'm** the one in charge of you. They want me to be pleased with them, ya see!" Mammon explained matter-of-factly.   
  
Viorella squinted at him.  
  
Mammon grinned like a goofball, looking entirely too pleased with this explanation. "So, whaddya think about that? NOW you get it, doncha! It's clear how important I am, and how much my brothers respect me!"  
  
"I... Suppose you're probably right." Viorella agreed, hiding her incredulous expression behind the fall of her hair.   
  
_Who am I to dispel his delusions, if they make him this happy?_  
  
Completely caught off-guard, Mammon did a double take. "Wh...hey! Come on, it feels weird when you agree with me like that. I mean, doncha think you should've taken that opportunity to put me down or somethin'?"   
  
"What are you talking about? I'm adorable. I'd never say anything mean to anyone!" Viorella implored, sticking out her bottom lip and batting her eyelashes.   
  
Mammon snorted at the likelihood of that statement. "Eh, whatever... Just let this be a learnin' experience. From now on, you oughta respect me like they do!"  
  
Viorella burst out laughing.  
  
Mammon scowled at her. "Ugh, forget it. Let's just get down to business. You and me need to figure out what our strategy's gonna be with this Levi thing."  
  
Viorella pushed herself up into a sitting position and rested her chin in her palm, the picture of attentiveness.   
  
"First off, what Beel told you is right." Mammon said. "If you can make Levi jealous, he's bound to lose his cool. Though there's no guarantee he won't kill ya if that happens. But that's just how it's gotta be. There's no way you'll beat Levi in a competition over who's the biggest TSL nerd. Not if you fight fair. You'd best face up to the fact that this is gonna involve a little risk."   
  
Viorella nodded calmly, no longer fazed by the steady stream of threats to her life these days.   
  
"...So, we've gotta figure out **how** you're gonna manage to make him jealous." Mammon continued. "He may be called the Avatar of Envy, but it's hard to make him give in to it. Instead of gettin' super jealous of you, he'll get all negative about his own situation. He'll start talkin' about how it's "not fair" and you're "lucky" and stuff. You're not gonna be able to get him to lose his cool just by doing a little bragging. No, you're gonna have to do somethin' to make him REAL jealous. So jealous that he nearly pops a blood vessel."   
  
Mammon fell silent as he and Viorella both contemplated the possibilities.   
  
"Hmm... Maybe we oughta ask someone for advice." Mammon suggested.   
  
Viorella absently coiled a corkscrew lock of her hair around her index finger. "We should ask Simeon." she said.   
  
"Ah, yeah, Satan did say somethin' about talking to Simeon, didn't he?" Mammon nodded. "Said you should ask him about the next TSL novel--the one that's not out yet. And actually, I'm dyin' to find out what's gonna happen myself. Still though, why would Simeon know what's gonna happen in the next TSL book when it's not even out yet?"   
  
Viorella shrugged as she reluctantly dragged herself onto her feet. "I suppose we'll find out when we talk to him." she said.  
  
Hopefully, Simeon would provide her with the edge she needed to defeat Levi.   
  
_How do I even get myself into these situations, though?_  
  
~  
  
Moonlight flooded into the RAD assembly room, shedding silvery tints over the sea of students' faces gathered to watch the much-anticipated spectacle.   
  
Viorella held herself together as best she could under the weight of so many eyes on her.   
  
Asmodeus, on the other hand, basked in the attention as he addressed the crowd. "All right, everyone!" he announced. "Finally, the wait is over! It's time for Devil's Trivia showdown, the quiz show that pits demon against human!"  
  
The crowd cascaded with excited chatter.   
  
"Today our competitors will be testing their knowledge regarding a super-famous, super-popular fantasy series." Asmodeus continued. "One that's known by young and old alike... _The Tale of the Seven Lords_! Now, it's time to introduce our two competitors. First, he's a demon who freely admits to being a giant TSL nerd! Meet Leviathan!"  
  
Levi inclined his head towards the crowd, a confident smile on his face. "I am the G.O.A.T. None can oppose me!" he declared.   
  
"And his challenger claims to have been introduced to TSL only very recently after binge watching the DVDs! Say hello to Viorella!" Asmodeus proclaimed.   
  
"Hi there." Viorella greeted the crowd shyly as she made her way over to Levi.  
  
Levi was already seated at the smaller table in front of the stage that elevated the council table. He leaned sideways, resting his elbow on the arm of his high-backed chair and giving Viorella a disdainful glance as she seated herself opposite him. "You know, I don't even care about this whole **competition** thing, honestly. I mean, I already know how this is going to end." he told her. "I'm only doing this because it gives me a chance to show off my encyclopedic knowledge of TSL to everyone."   
  
"Serving as judge for today's competition is our very own Demon Lord himself, Diavolo!" Asmodeus declared.  
  
"Hello there, everyone. Good to see you." Lord Diavolo smiled at everyone from his judge's seat with the good-natured composure that seemed to be as much a part of him as his own skin.   
  
"Colour commentary will be provided by Satan, Avatar of Wrath. But a good commentator needs to keep a cool head. I wonder, is he really up to the task?" Asmodeus said with visible concern, spinning to look up at the council table.   
  
"I don't think that's going to be a problem." Satan assured him from his seat at the council table. "So, I'm doing the commentary? That's a lot of responsibility."   
  
Asmodeus shut his eyes in a long-suffering expression. "Now, say hello to our guest demon, the always-famished Beelzebub! For his appearance fee, he requested to be compensated in cheeseburgers. How very Beel of him..."  
  
"Nothing beats one of Hell's Kitchen's special cheeseburgers. They age the cheese 4000 years for maximum flavour." Beel informed the crowd helpfully around a mouthful of said cheeseburger.   
  
Asmodeus swept a hand through the perfect waves of his pink-blond hair and beamed at the crowd. "And your host for the day is none other than yours truly, Asmodeus. The demon who can make you swoon simply by whispering into your ear. You all know me, **you all love me**."  
  
"All right, enough." Mammon interrupted. "This is gettin' ridiculous. Let's get this show on the road!"  
  
"I thought you hated wasting your time at events like this, Mammon. Yet here you are." Lucifer observed as he passed Mammon on the far end of the council table on his way to Lord Diavolo's side. "Truly, wonders never cease."  
  
"Shut up, Lucifer." Mammon snapped, his face turning Viorella's favourite shade of pink. "I've got some free time, that's all."  
  
"Well then, we'll start with you, Viorella." Asmodeus decided, prancing towards Levi and Viorella's table. "Get ready for TSL Quiz question number one!"  
  
Viorella rested her elbows on the table, her face deliberately arranged into an expression of perfect serenity. "I'm ready." she said evenly.   
  
"The seven lords are all brothers, and each has a specific name that people know them by." Asmodeus recounted. "In birth order, name the oldest, second-oldest, and third-oldest lords."   
  
"...Corruption, then Fools, then Shadow." Viorella answered, her almost bored tone matching her relaxed posture.   
  
"Well, how about that! You're absolutely correct!" Asmodeus told her. "Way to start the game off on the right foot, Viorella!"  
  
Levi snorted derisively. "Oh come on. Anybody could've gotten that one right."  
  
"Hm, my cheeseburger came with onion rings, the king of all side items. Yum." Beel interjected.   
  
"All right, Leviathan, it's your turn now. Here comes question number one!" Asmodeus announced. "In what year did the Lord of Shadow build the Blue Palace for his imaginary mistress?"  
  
"Year 693 of the ancient era." Levi answered at once.   
  
"Correct! What an impressive showing from the self-described TSL nerd!"  
  
"In me you bear witness to a legend!" Levi declared.   
  
"Even so, is it just me, or was that question a bit **too** specific?" Satan remarked. "Only a mega nerd would know that."   
  
Lord Diavolo chuckled. "This is shaping up to be quite entertaining, isn't it, Lucifer?"  
  
Lucifer gave him a sidelong half-smile. "I'm glad you find it to your liking, Diavolo."   
  
"All right, back to you now, Viorella! Get ready for TSL Quiz question number two!" Asmodeus said. "The sixth lord is the Lord of Flies. What does he love to eat more than anything else?"  
  
"A cursed goat tartare sandwich with cheese." Viorella answered, tucking a stray curl behind her ear.   
  
"Correct! Very impressive! That was a tough one! You really do know your stuff, don't you?!" Asmodeus remarked. "Hmm... A cursed goat tartare sandwich with cheese... Is that sort of like a cheeseburger, more or less?"  
  
"Hey, Beel, come on! Take a napkin to that stream of drool comin' outta your mouth! It's gettin' all over my clothes!" Mammon complained in the background.   
  
"Now back to Mr. Reliable himself, Leviathan! Here comes question number two! In _The Tale of the Seven Lords_ Volume 3, page 724, what does the Lord of Fools say in fifth line from the top?"   
  
""Money is my dearest friend and closest companion. It's everything to me. The blood bonds I share with my brothers are like the weak, wispy threads of a spider in comparison."" Levi quoted with a smile.   
  
"Amazing!" Asmodeus exclaimed. "That is correct! An exact match word for word!"   
  
"The more I learn about the Lord of Fools, the clearer it is that he's a total scumbag." Satan said disgustedly.  
  
"...Hey, why does it feel like you're insulting ME right now?" Mammon sniffed.   
  
"All right, moving on... It's your turn now, Viorella! Say hello to question number three! This is regarding the fifth brother, the Lord of Lechery. Who does he love more than anyone else?"   
  
"Himself." Viorella answered with a slight smile.   
  
"Well, well! Excellent! You are absolutely right!" Asmodeus told her. "So, the fifth lord loves himself above all else... I like that. Sounds like my kind of guy."   
  
Across from Viorella, Levi shifted in his seat with growing impatience. "Come on, hurry up! Let's go! It's my turn now."  
  
"Leviathan, you've gotten every single question correct thus far." Asmodeus said, pivoting towards him. "But prepare yourself, because question number three is coming at you! In Volume 4 of the DVD series, at exactly 159 minutes and 35 seconds in, what is the Lord of Masks holding in his left hand?"  
  
"He's holding a flower from a carnivorous grodoodle plant, grown by the Lord of Corruption." Levi answered.   
  
"Excellent! That only flashed on screen for the briefest of moments, and yet you still caught it! Amazing! Your knowledge truly is extensive! In fact, I'd even say it's **creepy**!" Asmodeus added.   
  
Levi frowned. "Hey, is it just me, or have all of my questions been way harder than Viorella's? Like, suspiciously harder. Though they're still so easy for me that I'm ready to fall asleep here." he added dismissively. "Anyway... How long are we going to keep this charade up? This is getting boring."  
  
Mammon nodded in agreement. "Yep, I'd say it has. All right, Viorella, it's time to pull out the big guns. Let's see how Levi here likes your trump card!" he turned towards his brother. "Levi, you're way too full of yourself. Which is why we're about to reach inside ya, yank out that pride, and crush it like a bug!"   
  
Levi looked at him in disgusted confusion. "What...?"   
  
"Well, well, interesting..." Lord Diavolo murmured, clearly enjoying the ongoing scene.   
  
"Wow! It sounds to me like the gauntlet has been thrown down! It would seem Viorella has some sort of trump card to use against Leviathan!" Asmodeus proclaimed. "Perhaps now would be a good time to check in with our colour commentator. Satan, what do you think this could be about?"  
  
"Well, it's not at all surprising that Viorella would come into this with a secret weapon." Satan said. "It seems that the advice I gave is about to pay some dividends. Excellent."  
  
"Just a minute... Satan, are you telling us that you provided **aid** to Viorella? How **very** wicked of you!" Asmodeus exclaimed. "I suppose this would be a good time to get your take on this as well, Beel."  
  
Beel smiled at him. "If you want to hear what I have to say, it's going to cost you. Let's say one extra-large bowl of katsudon and some miso soup to go along with that."   
  
"OK, **whose idea was it to invite Beel to this, huh**?!" Asmodeus demanded. "He's done nothing but **eat** this entire time!"   
  
A rumble of laughter ran through the crowd.   
  
"... In any event, if Viorella really does have a secret weapon, it could mean something that will make winning against Leviathan possible!" Asmodeus went on. "Perhaps we should hear what Viorella's opponent thinks of this. Tell me Levi, what's running through your head right now?!"  
  
"ROTFLMAO! loooooooooooooooooooooooooool!" Levi howled with laughter.   
  
"Right... I have absolutely no idea what you're saying! But clearly you don't see this as a threat... Got it!" Asmodeus said. "So, what could this trump card of Viorella's be?! Let's find out...!"  
  
Viorella took a deep breath. Simeon's words from earlier, perfectly committed to her memory, flowed from her mouth in speech so steady and confident, it surprised even her. She kept her eyes locked with Levi's the entire time.   
  
Levi's expression morphed from astonishment, to confusion, to horror, then back to astonishment as he absorbed her summary of the major plot developments in the as-of-yet unreleased TSL Volume 9. "Wh...what...?" he said breathlessly. "...NO! That's insane...the Lord of Masks wouldn't do that to the Lord of Shadow. Lies, all of it! Pure hogwash! Don't think you can fool me by making up random stuff like that!"  
  
"Hmm. Actually, Viorella doesn't appear to be lying as far as I can see." Lord Diavolo observed.   
  
"Levi, you know as well as I do that Lord Diavolo has the ability to discern whether someone is telling the truth." Satan put in.   
  
"B-But...no...!" Levi protested weakly, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the arms of his chair. "Everyone online has been talking about how the Lord of Masks and the Lord of Shadow are totally going to make up... What you said CAN'T happen! It...it just can't!"  
  
"Huh, so all that stuff Simeon told you was true then?" Mammon remarked to Viorella. "How about that. Still though, how is it that he knows all that?"  
  
"All right, um... Okay, I suppose that settles who the true TSL nerd is..." Asmodeus said, a little bewildered.   
  
"I won't stand for this." Levi's voice simmered with volcanic anger.   
  
Viorella's body froze at the true threat in his tone. She found his eyes, and the usual bright, volatile warmth in them had risen to a dangerous, burning fury.   
  
"All you did was stay up one night marathoning the DVDs." Levi spat. "The idea that someone like YOU could actually be a bigger TSL fan than me, it's..."  
  
"Wh-Whoa, calm down there, Levi...!" Viorella heard Mammon saying somewhere in the background.   
  
"No... **no** , I WILL NOT STAND FOR THIIIIIS!" Levi roared.  
  
Viorella, unable to even flinch, sat quite still as Levi's chair went flying across the room, whipped into the air by...Levi's tail? Her eyes widened. A set of dark horns protruded from the sides of Levi's head, like branching, twisted vines. A cluster of purplish-black diamond-shaped markings glistened on the side of his neck.   
  
Levi lashed his serpentine tail and flung aside the table that separated him from Viorella.   
  
"Viorella, run! Get out of here!" a familiar voice was yelling at her.   
  
Viorella shut her eyes. She was vaguely aware of the crowd murmuring loudly with anticipation.   
  
"Viorella!" the voice, which Viorella could this time identify as Mammon's, shouted again. "...Dammit, I'm not gonna make it in time...!"  
  
Viorella couldn't feel her own body. With her eyes shut, the world was black, mercifully shielding her from the sight of her impending death. The only thing she was aware of was the violent sound of her own thundering heart. 


	8. Expressly Forbidden

**"And as along her bosom steal**

**In lengthened flow her raven tresses,**

**You'd swear each clustering lock could feel,**

**And curled to give her neck caresses." ~ Lord Byron, The Girl of Cadiz**

In that moment, Viorella looked like a marble statue. Motionless, serenely beautiful, about to be shattered into a million pieces. 

"...That's enough." Lucifer heard himself saying. "I believe you were going to settle this via a QUIZ, weren't you? Not through violence." 

Levi, his usually gentle younger brother, looked down at Viorella with fury in his eyes. 

Lucifer cut between them, shielding Viorella with his wings. "You're out of control, Levi."

"L...Lucifer..." Levi stammered, the fury fading from his eyes. It gave way to bewilderment. 

Mammon skidded to a halt by Viorella's side. He stared at Lucifer, flabbergasted. 

"Unbelievable! Just as Leviathan was about to strike who should step in and stop him but the one and only Lucifer himself! Simply incredible!" Asmo announced to the whispering crowd. 

"I haven't seen you leap to someone's rescue like that in quite some time, Lucifer." Satan remarked. 

Beel promptly started choking on his food. 

Lucifer kept his attention on Levi, ignoring the rest of his brothers. "Levi, go back to your room and cool off." he ordered. 

Levi stared ahead, abashed and disoriented. His tail pooled defeatedly on the floor. 

"Levi? You heard what he said, right?" Diavolo asked gently. 

Levi nodded slowly. "...Yeah." he muttered, retreating from the scene. 

Lucifer found Mammon helping a still unresponsive Viorella to her feet, looking from her to Lucifer with an almost wounded expression on his face. Lucifer couldn't quite read it. "What is it, Mammon? You look like you want to say something." he asked him. 

Mammon scowled. "...No. I don't wanna say nothin'." 

Lucifer brushed past him and rotated Viorella by the shoulders to face him. He placed a finger under her chin, lifting her face and examining it carefully. She was chalky pale, but her eyes were no longer glossed over. Her eyebrows drew together in a frown as she looked up into his face, her eyes flitting from the black diamond on his forehead, to the horns curling from the sides of his head. Finally, she fixated on the coal-black wings of his demon form. 

Lucifer, satisfied that she had suffered no injury, released her and returned to his original position at Diavolo's side. 

Diavolo gave him a sidelong glance, a subtle question in his eyes. 

Lucifer shook his head ever so slightly. 

The crowd buzzed with hushed, hurried chatter. Lucifer could almost hear their speculations. 

"So, what're we going to do now? How are we supposed to have our competition without Levi?" Asmo asked worriedly.

"I guess this means the competition ends in a draw." Diavolo decided. "Neither one of them won."

“I’ve got an idea.” Beel said hopefully. “You should give your guest free cafeteria meal tickets as a parting gift. Fifty years’ worth ought to do the trick.”

“Still, I have to say I find it surprising that you would go out of your way just to rescue a mere human, Lucifer.  **Very surprising...** ” Satan said. Lucifer could feel his calculating gaze upon him. “...don’t you agree, Mammon?”

“... Huh? Why are ya askin’  **me** ?” Mammon said moodily.

“As the oldest, it is naturally my duty to clean up my younger siblings’ messes.” Lucifer deflected calmly.

Mammon’s scowl darkened.

Lucifer surveyed the crowd, still watching them intently despite the fact that the event had been concluded. “Mammon.” he said quietly. “Get Viorella back to the House of Lamentation. She looks like she’s about to fall over.”

That seemed to jar Mammon out of his brooding stupor. He gently took Viorella by the arm and led her off towards the exit.

~

Surrounded by the familiar leafy walls and pink bedding of her bedroom, Viorella felt much better. She was still worried about Levi, and shocked by Lucifer’s intervention, but at least she was out of view of the numberless, judgemental, invasive eyes of the crowd. She sat on her bed with a slice of untouched pizza beside her, her RAD uniform exchanged for her comfortable new low-backed black silk nightgown. 

“So, ya made it out of that without being attacked, only to end up fallin’ on your butt and spraining your wrist…” Mammon sighed. He knelt in front of her, bandaging her injured wrist with surprising gentleness. “Seriously, could you be any more of a klutz?”

“It’s these new high-heels, okay?” Viorella defended herself. “I’m not used to walking in them.”

“You humans really are way less physically capable than us demons.” Beel remarked from his seat on the floor beside an open box of pizza. “That’s because they don’t eat enough. And unlike us, they don’t eat the right things.”

“Stop tying everything back to food, Beel!” Mammon snapped. “Actually, why’re you even here, anyway? Seems to me that you’ve been spendin’ an awful lot of time here ever since the night of the DVD marathon.”

“Well, so have you.” Beel pointed out. “I mean, you’ve even left a cell phone charger here. And a toothbrush. That’s how much you’re over here.”

Mammon spluttered. “W..well that’s because, uh...you know… I’ve gotta look after this human, don’t I? It’s my job…” he trailed off.

Viorella smiled down at him. His cheeks had gone that darling shade of cerise again.

“Mammon, you’re doing a terrible job with those bandages.” Beel observed.

“Hey, shut up!” Mammon said defensively. “I’ve never had to wrap someone’s wrist before, okay? I don’t know how it works! If you think I’m doing such a bad job, then why don’t YOU do it, Beel!”

Beel didn’t appear to hear him. He bit enthusiastically into another slice of pizza. “...mm, nothing beats pizza for a midnight snack.” 

“Dammit, Beel, listen to me when I’m talking to you!” Mammon paused. “Wait a minute… Isn’t that MY slice of pizza you’ve got there in your other hand?!”

“You know, I could really go for a soda right now.” Beel remarked. “I’m going to go run to the kitchen.”

“...Hey, Beel! You put down one of those slices you’re holdin’ right now! HEY!” Mammon demanded in vain as Beel wandered out of the room. “Of all the… Seriously, does that guy ever stop eatin’?! You’d better keep a close eye on your pizza, or he’ll steal yours away next.” 

Viorella shook her head in amusement as she took the bandages from Mammon and began deftly wrapping her own wrist. 

“...Ah...um, by the way… There’s somethin’ I want you to know.” Mammon said quietly.

Viorella looked at him curiously, noticing the change in his tone. “Yes, darling?”

Mammon refused to look her in the eye. “...Listen. The next time your life’s in danger, I’m gonna be the one to save you, all right? Don’t you forget that.” with an effort, he lifted his burning blue eyes to meet her bewildered brown ones. “...And if I can’t manage to save ya, then make sure you die, got it?! I don’t want no one else steppin’ in and savin’ you, all right?!  **It’s me or no one, understand?!** ”

_ Um… What?  _

Viorella stared at him, utterly confused by the request. “I...Why?” was all she could articulate. 

“Bbecause...ya know, because it’s my JOB!” Mammon spluttered, averting his eyes once more.

Before Viorella could question him further, the ringing of a D.D.D. cut into their conversation.

“Huh…? That ain’t my phone.” Mammon said, patting his jacket pockets to check. “Is it yours?”

Viorella picked up her D.D.D. to find a series of text messages awaiting her. Her breathing caught. They were from Levi.

**Leviathan:** _ Come to the planetarium right away. _

**Leviathan:** _ We’ll talk when you get here. _

**Leviathan:** _ Come quick, OK? _

~

Viorella padded tentatively into the planetarium. She paused, realising that she hadn’t really been in here that often. It really was a beautiful room. The cold, enchanting silver moonlight that belonged solely to the Devildom flooded in through the glass, mingling with the warm golden glow of the candles left burning on the desks.

Levi stood with his back to her, moonlight glinting off his hair.

Viorella cleared her throat to get his attention.

Levi turned to face her with an irritated scowl. “...Finally. I’ve been waiting for you to show up. It took you long enough.” he said coldly. “When I call for you, you need to come right away, understand? Don’t walk, run. I want you moving at light speed. Like the way Henry races over whenever his best friend the Lord of Shadow calls on him. You saw the TSL DVDs, so you should know.” a smile found its way onto Levi’s face, washing away his irritation like sunshine cutting through fog. “He comes riding up on the winged unicorn that he won off of the Lord of Fools in a bet.”

Viorella raised an eyebrow.

Levi frowned. “...Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying you and I are best friends or anything. As if. So, do you know why I called you here?”

Viorella had a pretty good idea. “To eat me…?” 

Levi’s eyes brightened as he laughed. “Huh. Good guess. You’re sharp. The truth is that I was planning on doing that until a minute ago.” he glared at her. “Because I won’t stand for anyone else being a bigger TSL fan than me. It’s unacceptable! And what’s worse, you’re a human--a weak, insignificant one at that. It just totally defies belief. If I took you out of the picture by eating you, that would leave me as the sole king of all TSL mega fans, right? But Lucifer would get mad at me if I did, so I’ve given up on that idea.”

Viorella tilted her head sideways, keeping quiet as he regarded her.

Levi stared at her wordlessly for a few moments before his expression morphed into a scowl of annoyance. “...All right, look.” he snapped. “Here’s the thing. You remember why we decided to have that competition in the first place, right? It was to see who the bigger TSL fan was. And I told you that if you won, I’d enter into a pact with you.”

Viorella’s eyes widened.

“That little trump card you pulled out was a real dirty trick...” Levi sighed. “...but a promise is a promise, after all. It really kills me to do this...it makes my stomach churn. But, I’ll keep my end of the bargain.”

Viorella looked up at him in complete surprise as he stepped towards her.

“I’ll do it. I’ll make a pact with you.” Levi declared.

Viorella searched his eyes. A shy smile found its way onto her lips. “Thank you.” she told him, unsure what else to say.

Levi hmphed gruffly as he bit into his thumb. 

Viorella held quite still as Levi stepped forward and drew the pact mark on her upper left arm. His blood seared heatedly against her skin, not quite painful, but enough to make Viorella stiffen in discomfort. As it had been for her first pact-marking, the heat receded as quickly as it had come, and the bloody mark faded into her skin, leaving behind a tingling warmth that pervaded her entire body. 

“...So, what’s all this about, anyway?” Levi asked her as he moved out of her personal space. “There’s something you’re not telling me, isn’t there? A normie human like you asking to make a pact with a demon like me? You must have some sort of ulterior motive. This is about more than just making a pact, right? You’re after something else. Go on, spill the beans.”

Viorella bit her bottom lip. “I need you to lend me your copy of the TSL soundtrack.” 

“AHA! I knew it! I knew no one would actually WANT to make a pact with me.” Levi said bitterly. “Not like this is surprising or anything. Well, I don’t know what you’re planning on doing with my record, but...just don’t sell it, understand? You’d better give it back when you’re done, is that clear? If you touch it, make sure to wipe off any fingerprints. And no eating potato chips and stuff when you handle it. It’s super, super rare, so you’d better not lose any of the inserts or the sleeve or anything!”

“I promise I’ll be super careful with it, darling.” Viorella assured him. “And thanks again.”

~

Lucifer looked up from his book as a tentative knock sounded upon his bedroom door. “The door’s open. Come in.” he called.

Viorella slipped inside, her floor-length black silk nightgown rustling softly across the floor. With her makeup removed for the night, her features seemed softer, rounder. Her copper-and-mahogany mane was tied back in a messy bun, a few curls escaping to fall loosely down her neck.

Lucifer smiled absently at the serenity of the image. “Ah, Viorella, it’s you.” he greeted, rising to his feet. “Today really was quite the disaster, wasn’t it?” he searched her face for any signs of lasting stress from earlier. He found none. She did, however, seem to be slightly nervous. Of him, perhaps?

Lucifer refocused himself. “But despite all that happened today, you should know that Levi’s not normally like that. He may be a high-ranking demon, but he’s quite harmless by nature. Try not to hold it against him.”

Viorella shook her head, a soft smile on her lips. “I won’t. It was my fault for riling him up anyway.” 

“So, tell me, what brings you here at this hour?” Lucifer inquired.

Viorella stepped forward, producing something she’d held hidden in the folds of her nightgown. She handed it to him without a word.

“Wh…!  **Is this what I think it is?!** ” Lucifer whispered, staring at the disc in his hands. 

Viorella nodded once.

“...Ah, now I get it. So,  **this** is why you wanted to make a pact with Levi.” Lucifer concluded. “Do you realise what it is you’ve got here, what this represents?”

“No, I actually don’t.” Viorella admitted.

“I don’t imagine you would.” Lucifer smiled. “This isn’t any ordinary soundtrack, you see. There’s quite a history to it.” he turned towards the fireplace, gesturing for Viorella to accompany him. They seated themselves opposite each other. In the fire’s dancing light, the copper highlights in Viorella’s hair glistened like molten flames. 

“I don’t have any particular interest in  _ The Tale of the Seven Lords  _ as a story.” Lucifer continued. “No... What interests me is the person who served as the first composer for the TSL movies. You see, the composer I speak of is dead now. He killed himself. The final song he wrote before his death was meant to be used in the scene where the Lord of Corruption puts a curse on the heroes. But due to the composer committing suicide, they decided not to use that track. They saved it, but didn’t release it to the public.”

Viorella listened attentively, tilting her head to one side in what Lucifer believed was an unconscious habit of hers. 

“However, a group of diehard fans pooled their own funds and had a very limited number of vinyl editions produced.” Lucifer went on. “As you might have guessed by now, this record is one of the few that were created. However, all of the people involved in its creation, as well as every single person who owned a copy of it, ended up dying mysteriously. So, people started saying the record itself was cursed.”

Viorella’s posture and expression reminded Lucifer strongly of a cat. Her shoulders relaxed, but still statuesquely poised, her dark eyes fascinated and unblinking. 

“I heard that all of these had been destroyed. But all this time, Levi has had a copy. I had no idea.” Lucifer said, regarding the record he held in his hands. He stood abruptly. “All right, I’ll go ahead and take this. We’ll consider it payment for saving you earlier.”

Viorella rose from her fireside seat, following his lead.

“Still, I really do appreciate you bringing this to me.” Lucifer told her. “I think I’ll spend tonight savouring every last note of this music here…” he paused, smirking. “...which means I probably won’t be able to bring myself to leave my room tonight. You see, we demons can’t resist temptation.” he caught Viorella’s gaze and held it. “When there’s something we really want staring us in the face, we have to have it. That’s simply how we are.”

Viorella said nothing. She simply inclined her head slightly to show she understood.

Lucifer smiled once more at the taciturn human. “Right now what I want is to stay up all night listening to this record. I can’t help it… I have to do it. But don’t think that means you’re free to climb the stairs to the attic, Viorella. That place is off-limits.”

“I understand.” Viorella assured him with a soft smile that Lucifer immediately distrusted.

Lucifer inclined his head. “Well then, good night.”

“Good night, Lucifer.”

~

The skirt of her nightgown flaring around her legs with the speed of her pace, Viorella headed straight for the stairs.

When she arrived at the foot of the stairs, she hesitated for a moment.

_ Lucifer has expressly forbidden me from going past this point. _

"...Viorella." 

Viorella's breathing caught. 

_ That voice. My guide.  _

"Finally, no one is going to stop you. Now's your chance to climb the stairs. Come…this way, Viorella." the voice urged. 

Viorella advanced up the stairs.

~

The attic had dusty-blue walls, and was lit at regular intervals by ornate candelabras.

Viorella followed her guiding voice to an arched, latticework door made of heavy metal. She approached it slowly.

"I knew you were the one person who'd be able to find me." the voice said softly. This time, it was no longer disembodied. A stranger with hair the colour of a summer evening sky smiled at her from beyond the door. Strands of moonbeam-white intermingled with his dark blue tresses, and a thick fringe concealed the stranger’s right eye.

Viorella approached him, placing a hand on the doorframe. “Who are you?” she asked.

“Who am I?” the stranger repeated, his face hardening. “...That’s a good question. I forgot the answer long ago, myself.”

Viorella peered over his shoulder. All she could make out of the room behind him was that it was lit by warm orange candlelight. The candlelight cast an ethereal glow upon the stranger’s already angelic face.

Viorella looked him up and down, her bottom lip held between her teeth. “Are you a demon?” she asked.

The stranger winced. “Don’t be ridiculous! Just the thought of being one of them is enough to send a shiver down my spine. I’m a human,  **just like you** . A demon imprisoned me in here long ago, and I’ve been stuck here ever since.” bitterness coloured his tone. “It was Lucifer.”

“Lucifer?” Viorella repeated, shock softening her voice to barely more than a whisper.

“I’m guessing you’ve met him.” the stranger said. “Well, that demon is the one who locked me in here. I’m begging you, Viorella. You’ve got to get me out of here.”


End file.
